Behind the Numbers: an EMARKETER Podcast

The Great BTN Bake (Take) Off — GenAI Trends for 2026: Google Overtakes OpenAI and an AI Reality Check Looms Large | Behind the Numbers

Our analysts (or “bakers”) compete in a Great British Bake Off–style episode, discussing why Google may overtake OpenAI in 2026 and how the AI boom could get a reality check this year. Join Senior Director of Podcasts and host Marcus Johnson, along with Principal Analyst Nate Elliott and Analyst Jacob Bourne. Listen everywhere, and watch on YouTube and Spotify.
 
The reports mentioned: 
Tech Trends to Watch in 2026
AI Trends to Watch in 2026
 
Get more insights like these with our free, industry-leading newsletters covering advertising, marketing, and commerce. Sign up at emarketer.com/newslettersFollow us on Instagram at: https://www.instagram.com/emarketer/For sponsorship opportunities contact us: advertising@emarketer.comFor more information visit: https://www.emarketer.com/advertise/Have questions or just want to say hi? Drop us a line at podcast@emarketer.com For a transcript of this episode click here:https://www.emarketer.com/content/podcast-great-btn-bake-take-off-genai-trends-2026-google-overtakes-openai-behind-numbers© 2026 EMARKETER

The Great BTN Bake (Take) Off — Retail Trends for 2026: How AI Will Change the Digital Shelf and IRL Customers Interactions | Reimagining Retail

Our analysts (or “bakers”) will compete in a Great British Bake Off–style episode, discussing how the digital shelf for ecommerce will adapt to speak to AI audiences and how retailers will counter AI’s rise by connecting with customers IRL. Listen to the discussion with Vice President of Content and host Suzy Davidkhanian, Principal Analyst Sky Canaves, and Senior Analyst Blake Droesch.
 
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For sponsorship opportunities contact us: advertising@emarketer.com
For more information visit: https://www.emarketer.com/advertise/
Have questions or just want to say hi? Drop us a line at podcast@emarketer.com 
 
For a transcript of this episode click here:
https://www.emarketer.com/content/podcast-reimagining-retail-trends-2026-how-ai-will-change-digital-shelf-irl-customers-interactions
 
© 2026 EMARKETER

The Great BTN Bake (Take) Off — Digital Trends for 2026: Agentic Ad Buying and the Video Podcast Winners | Behind the Numbers

Our analysts (or “bakers”) will compete in a Great British Bake Off–style episode, discussing how new standards will unlock agentic ad buying and selling, and how (and why) YouTube will benefit most from the surge in video podcasts. Join Senior Director of Podcasts and host Marcus Johnson, along with Senior Analyst Ross Benes and Principal Analyst Yory Wurmser. Listen everywhere, and watch on YouTube and Spotify.
 
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For sponsorship opportunities, contact us: advertising@emarketer.com
 
For more information, visit: https://www.emarketer.com/advertise/
 
Have questions or just want to say hi? Drop us a line at podcast@emarketer.com 
 
For a transcript of this episode, click here: https://www.emarketer.com/content/podcast-great-btn-bake-take-off-digital-trends-2026-agentic-ad-buying-video-podcast-winners-behind-n
 
© 2026 EMARKETER

The Big 2026 Quiz: Random Trivia, Future Major Headlines, and Defining Moments | Behind the Numbers

On today’s special podcast episode, we discuss the major headlines we expect to see and some significant milestones in the coming year—and bundle it all into a giant quiz. What happens to YouTube in 2026? What will shoppers start letting AI agents do for them? And much, much more. Join Senior Director of Podcasts and host Marcus Johnson, along with Vice Presidents of Content Suzy Davidkhanian and Paul Verna, and Senior Analyst Blake Droesch. Listen everywhere, and watch on YouTube and Spotify.
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For sponsorship opportunities contact us: advertising@emarketer.com
For more information visit: https://www.emarketer.com/advertise/
Have questions or just want to say hi? Drop us a line at podcast@emarketer.com
For a transcript of this episode click here:
https://www.emarketer.com/content/podcast-big-2026-quiz-random-trivia-future-major-headlines-defining-moments-behind-numbers
© 2026 EMARKETER

Welcome to 2026: AI Agents Manage Money and the Bank-Grade Stablecoin Economy | The Banking & Payments Show

In today’s episode, we explore consumers’ use of agentic AI in their financial lives, and the development of stablecoin payment rails becoming “bank grade” in 2026. Join the discussion with host and Head of Business Development Rob Rubin, and Senior Analysts Grace Broadbent and Myra Thomas.
Subscribe to EMARKETER's newsletters. Go to: https://www.emarketer.com/newsletters
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For sponsorship opportunities contact us: advertising@emarketer.com
For more information visit: https://www.emarketer.com/advertise/
Have questions or just want to say hi? Drop us a line at podcast@emarketer.com
For a transcript of this episode click here:
https://www.emarketer.com/content/podcast-welcome-2026-ai-agents-manage-money-bank-grade-stablecoin-economy-banking-payments-show
© 2025 EMARKETER
Campaigns take flight with Viasat Ads. Unlock access to over 250 million passengers annually across leading global airlines, with high-engagement ad formats and real-time delivery. Viasat Ads provides access to a verified audience in a captive environment, so your message reaches passengers when they are ready to engage. Join their journey with Viasat Ads.

2025 Retail Awards — Must-Visit Store, Greatest Glow-Up, Best Collab, AI Power Move, and Most Impactful Campaign | Reimagining Retail

On today's podcast episode, we give out our '2025 Retail Awards' for the 'Must-Visit Store of the Year', 'Glow-Up of the Year', 'AI Power Move', 'Collab of the Year', and 'Campaign of the Year'. Listen to the discussion with Vice President of Content and host Suzy Davidkhanian, Senior Analyst Blake Droesch, and Analysts Arielle Feger and Rachel Wolff.
 
To learn more about our research and get access to PRO+ go to EMARKETER.com
 
Follow us on Instagram at: https://www.instagram.com/emarketer/
For sponsorship opportunities contact us: advertising@emarketer.com
For more information visit: https://www.emarketer.com/advertise/
Have questions or just want to say hi? Drop us a line at podcast@emarketer.com 
 
For a transcript of this episode click here:
https://www.emarketer.com/content/podcast-reimagining-retail-2025-retail-awards-must-visit-glow-up-best-collab-ai-impactful
 
© 2025 EMARKETER
 
Campaigns take flight with Viasat Ads. Unlock access to over 250 million passengers annually across leading global airlines, with high-engagement ad formats and real-time delivery. Viasat Ads provides access to a verified audience in a captive environment, so your message reaches passengers when they are ready to engage. Join their journey with Viasat Ads.
 

AI-Driven Media Management, with Gigi and Amazon Ads (Part 2) | EMARKETER Miniseries

On today’s EMARKETER Miniseries—AI-Driven Media Management—we explore the core building blocks of AI innovation, what partnering with Amazon Ads looks like in practice, and advice for leaders or teams who don’t come from technical backgrounds but need to build or use AI systems. EMARKETER Senior Director of Content Jeremy Goldman speaks with Adam Epstein, co-founder and CEO of Gigi. Listen everywhere you find podcasts, and watch on YouTube and Spotify.
 
To learn more about our research and get access to PRO+ go to EMARKETER.com
 
Follow us on Instagram at: https://www.instagram.com/emarketer/
For sponsorship opportunities contact us: advertising@emarketer.com
For more information visit: https://www.emarketer.com/advertise/
Have questions or just want to say hi? Drop us a line at podcast@emarketer.com 
 
For a transcript of this episode click here:
https://www.emarketer.com/content/podcast-ai-driven-media-management-with-gigi-amazon-ads-part-2-emarketer-miniseries
 
© 2025 EMARKETER
 
Amazon Ads offers full-funnel advertising solutions to help businesses of all sizes achieve their marketing goals at scale. Amazon Ads connects advertisers to highly relevant audiences through first-party insights; extensive reach across premium content like Prime Video, Twitch, and third-party publishers; the ability to connect and directly measure campaign tactics across awareness, consideration, and conversion; and generative AI to deliver appropriate creative at each step. Amazon Ads helps advertisers reach an average monthly ad-supported audience of more than 300 million in the U.S. across Amazon's owned and operated properties and third-party publishers. 

The Next-Generation of In-Flight Advertising: Passenger Receptiveness, Contextual Campaigns, and What Comes Next | Behind the Numbers

On today’s podcast episode, we discuss airline passengers’ receptiveness to ads, share best-in-class examples of contextual campaigns, and explore where in-flight ads are headed next. Join Senior Director of Podcasts and host Marcus Johnson, Senior Director of Content Jeremy Goldman, and Ragu Kamakshisundaram, Vice President of Media and Monetization at Viasat Ads. Listen everywhere, and watch on YouTube and Spotify.
 
To learn more about our research and get access to PRO+, go to EMARKETER.com
 
Follow us on Instagram at: https://www.instagram.com/emarketer/
 
For sponsorship opportunities, contact us: advertising@emarketer.com
 
For more information, visit: https://www.emarketer.com/advertise/
 
Have questions or just want to say hi? Drop us a line at podcast@emarketer.com 
 
For a transcript of this episode, click here: https://www.emarketer.com/content/
podcast-next-generation-of-in-flight-advertising-passenger-receptiveness-contextual-campaigns-what-c
 
 
© 2025 EMARKETER
 
Campaigns take flight with Viasat Ads. Unlock access to over 250 million passengers annually across leading global airlines, with high-engagement ad formats and real-time delivery. Viasat Ads provides access to a verified audience in a captive environment, so your message reaches passengers when they are ready to  engage. Join their journey with Viasat Ads. 

What If? Prime Cost Less, OpenAI Bought Apple (or Vice Versa), and the Netflix–WBD Deal Never Happens | Behind the Numbers

On today’s podcast episode, we discuss our “very specific but highly unlikely” predictions for 2026: what Amazon will do with the price of Prime; between OpenAI and Apple, who’s most likely to buy whom; and why a potential WBD acquisition by Netflix might not go through in 2026—if at all. Join Senior Director of Podcasts and host Marcus Johnson, Principal Analyst Nate Elliott, and Vice Presidents of Content Suzy Davidkhanian and Paul Verna. Listen everywhere, and watch on YouTube and Spotify.
 
To learn more about our research and get access to PRO+ go to EMARKETER.com
 
Follow us on Instagram at: https://www.instagram.com/emarketer/
For sponsorship opportunities contact us: advertising@emarketer.com
For more information visit: https://www.emarketer.com/advertise/
Have questions or just want to say hi? Drop us a line at podcast@emarketer.com 
 
For a transcript of this episode click here:
https://www.emarketer.com/content/podcast-behind-numbe-what-if-prime-cost-less-openai-bought-apple-netflix-wbd-deal-never-happens
 
© 2025 EMARKETER
 
Campaigns take flight with Viasat Ads. Unlock access to over 250 million passengers annually across leading global airlines, with high-engagement ad formats and real-time delivery. Viasat Ads provides access to a verified audience in a captive environment, so your message reaches passengers when they are ready to engage. Join their journey with Viasat Ads.
 

AI-Driven Media Management, with Gigi and Amazon Ads (Part 1) | EMARKETER Miniseries

On today’s EMARKETER Miniseries—AI-Driven Media Management—we explore how to break down the media manager role into workflows that can be automated or augmented by agentic AI, what agencies misunderstand about AI, and which agency tasks are ripest to hand off to AI right now. EMARKETER Senior Director of Content Jeremy Goldman speaks with Adam Epstein, co-founder and CEO of Gigi. Listen everywhere you find podcasts, and watch on YouTube and Spotify.
 
To learn more about our research and get access to PRO+ go to EMARKETER.com
 
Follow us on Instagram at: https://www.instagram.com/emarketer/
For sponsorship opportunities contact us: advertising@emarketer.com
For more information visit: https://www.emarketer.com/advertise/
Have questions or just want to say hi? Drop us a line at podcast@emarketer.com 
 
For a transcript of this episode click here:
https://www.emarketer.com/content/podcast-ai-driven-media-management-with-gigi-amazon-ads-part-1
 
© 2025 EMARKETER
 
Amazon Ads offers full-funnel advertising solutions to help businesses of all sizes achieve their marketing goals at scale. Amazon Ads connects advertisers to highly relevant audiences through first-party insights; extensive reach across premium content like Prime Video, Twitch, and third-party publishers; the ability to connect and directly measure campaign tactics across awareness, consideration, and conversion; and generative AI to deliver appropriate creative at each step. Amazon Ads helps advertisers reach an average monthly ad-supported audience of more than 300 million in the U.S. across Amazon's owned and operated properties and third-party publishers.