Media Monitor
Media Monitor is a data-led podcast unpacking what’s really happening across advertising, media, and consumer behavior—and what it means next.
Hosted by Sean Wright and Kelly Sweeney from Guideline.ai, the show breaks down the signals behind the headlines: ad spend shifts, market trends, economic pressure points, and emerging opportunities shaping the media ecosystem.
Each episode translates complex data into clear insight, helping brands, agencies, and decision-makers cut through noise, reduce uncertainty, and make smarter strategic calls.
If media is changing faster than ever, Media Monitor helps you understand why, how, and what to watch next.
Episodes
24 episodes
Ep 23: NBA Finals, Fox + Roku & World Cup Ads: The Biggest Media Stories This Week
Sports, streaming, and advertising continue to reshape the media landscape—and this week delivered plenty to discuss.In this episode of Media Monitor, Kelly and Sean introduce a new weekly headlines segment before diving into Guideli...
Ep 22: How The New York Times Is Winning in Advertising (While Everyone Else Struggles)
Most media companies are fighting declining advertising revenue.The New York Times is moving in the opposite direction.In this episode of Media Monitor, Kelly and Sean launch a new deep-dive series by examining on...
Ep 21: AI, IPOs & Advertising: What Happens When AI Giants Go Public?
AI continues to dominate headlines—but is the advertising industry becoming more cautious?In this episode of Media Monitor, Kelly and Sean examine a series of major developments shaping the future of artificial intelligence and...
Ep 20: NFL Advertising Hits Record Highs: What’s Driving Nearly $6 Billion in Revenue?
The NFL continues to dominate live sports advertising.In this episode, Kelly and Sean break down Guideline’s latest NFL Advertising Report, examining the trends, categories, teams, and schedule changes shaping one of the most v...
Ep 19: Why Publicis Bought LiveRamp — Identity Data, AI & the Future of Advertising
Publicis just made one of the biggest advertising acquisitions in years — purchasing identity platform LiveRamp in a $2.54 billion all-cash deal.But this story is much bigger than a merger announcement.In this episode, Kelly and ...
Ep 18: Upfronts, Streaming & Why TV Advertising Is Starting to Look Like Cable Again
What are the TV Upfronts, and why do they still matter in the streaming era?In this episode, Kelly and Sean break down how television advertising, streaming platforms, and digital media buying continue to evolve in 2026. From traditional...
Auto Advertising Slows While Pharma Faces a Major Shift
This week, Kelly and Sean take a category-focused approach, diving into two major sectors shaping the advertising market: automotive and pharmaceutical advertising.The episode begins with a conversation around Sean’s recent car purch...
Media Headlines Breakdown: OpenAI Lawsuit, iHeart & SiriusXM, Social Media Bans, and Amsterdam Ads
In this episode, Kelly and Sean step back from deep dives and return to a broader format—reviewing several major headlines shaping the media and advertising landscape right now.They begin with the ongoing legal dispute involving Open...
Sports Advertising Trends 2026: Streaming Growth, NFL, NBA, and Olympics Insights
Kelly and Sean break down how advertising is evolving across major sports—from the Olympics to the NFL and NBA—and why streaming continues to reshape how brands reach audiences. In this episode, Kelly and S...
Programmatic Advertising Part 2: SSP Trends, CTV Growth, and What Q1 Data Shows
In part two of their programmatic advertising series, Kelly and Sean shift from the demand side to the supply side, breaking down what SSPs are, how they function, and what the latest Q1 data says about where programmatic is heading.They...
Retail Media Networks Explained: Why Amazon, Walmart & Uber Are Winning Ad Dollars
Retail media networks have quietly become one of the most important forces in advertising.In this episode, Kelly and Sean break down what retail media actually is, why it’s growing, and where it may be heading next.<...
Meta & YouTube Lawsuit: Will Social Media Finally Face Consequences?
A recent jury verdict against Meta and Google has reignited a long-running debate: are social media platforms simply hosting content, or are they designed in ways that can cause harm?In this episode, Kelly and Sean break down the case, t...
Ep 11: How Oil, LNG, and Unemployment Impact Ad Spend (What to Watch in 2026)
Economic headlines are everywhere—but how do they actually impact advertising?In this episode, Kelly and Sean unpack three key indicators—oil prices, liquid natural gas (LNG), and unemployment—and explain how each one connects to ad spen...
Ep 10: TV vs Streaming in 2025: Cord Cutting, Live Sports Growth, and What’s Next for 2026
Six years after COVID reshaped media consumption, the TV industry is still adjusting to the changes that followed. In this episode, Kelly and Sean walk through how the balance between linear TV and streaming flipped, what has happened since, an...
Ep 9: Programmatic Advertising Benchmarks: DSP Trends, CTV Growth, and What’s Changing in 2026
Kelly and Sean break down Guideline’s new quarterly programmatic benchmark report, explain how DSPs fit into the media buying ecosystem, and share the latest trends in programmatic, CTV, and streaming.Programmatic advertising plays a gro...
Ep 8: Out-of-Home Advertising Trends: Why the U.S. Lags Global Markets
Kelly and Sean examine global trends in out-of-home advertising, why the U.S. market trails international growth, and which industries are driving recent spending increases.Kelly and Sean begin the episode with a light ...
Netflix Backs Out of Warner Bros Bid, WPP’s AI Pivot, and the Shift Toward Performance Marketing
Netflix has stepped away from its bid for Warner Bros, clearing the path for Ellison and raising questions about consolidation in streaming, valuation logic, and what this means for consumers and advertisers.In this episode, Kelly and Se...
Ep 6: Why Podcast Advertising Is Growing Faster Than the Rest of Media
Podcasting isn’t just a format — it’s becoming a major force in advertising.Digital audio has grown more than 2.5x faster than the overall media market since the pandemic, and podcasts now account for nearly 30% of digital audio ad reven...
Ep 5: What the January Jobs Report Reveals About Marketing and Agency Hiring
The January jobs report came in stronger than expected, with 130,000 jobs added — nearly double what economists predicted. But a closer look reveals that most of that growth came from healthcare, raising questions about what the numbers actuall...
Ep 4: Publicis Q4 Performance, Olympic Ad Growth, and the Super Bowl Attention Battle
Publicis closed out 2025 with strong fourth-quarter earnings, the Winter Olympics officially kicked off with unprecedented levels of coverage, and Super Bowl weekend arrived with a familiar twist: counterprogramming aimed at siphoning attention...
Ep 3: TikTok Uninstalls Are Rising and What It Means for Advertisers
TikTok saw a sharp increase in app uninstalls in late January, and that trend could have real implications for advertisers. In this episode, Kelly and Sean break down what’s driving the spike, how different age groups are r...
Ep 2: ChatGPT Ads Explained, What They Mean for Digital Advertising
Advertising often reveals where the economy is heading before the headlines do. In this episode of Media Monitor, we break down one of the biggest advertising developments in years: OpenAI officially testing ads inside Cha...
Ep 1: Why Svedka Is Betting on AI, Nostalgia, and a Super Bowl Ad
Why would a vodka brand spend close to $9 million on a Super Bowl ad at a time when alcohol sales are slowing and advertising budgets are under pressure?In this episode, Kelly Sweeney and Sean Wright break down Svedka Vodka’s f...