The Third Annual Report: Three Years of Data. One Clear Pattern.
Something shifted this year, and the numbers know it before the headlines do.
State of Media 2026 is the third edition of our annual study of how American adults spend their attention and the first year we can say with confidence that we are watching a pattern unfold, not just documenting a moment.
Cumes are up. Habits are softening. And the platforms built on algorithmic dependency are showing it first.
Inside the Report:
- Why conversion dropped across nearly every platform in 2026 and what it means for how media success should actually be measured
- The legacy formats that held their ground while digital habits softened, and the behavioral signals explaining why
- A counterintuitive finding about younger listeners that challenges almost everything the industry assumes about the 18-34 demo
- Three years of trend data across 10 media types including cable, streaming TV, radio, music streaming, podcasts, news, social media, YouTube, video games, and AI
- Separate takeaways for media operators and advertisers in every section
Three years in, the era of compounding engagement appears to be closing. This report shows what comes next.
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