The State of Native Advertising and Branded Content in 2026

Algorithms keep changing, costs keep climbing, and branded content teams are trying to figure out how to stay effective through all of it. If you've been wondering whether your team's struggles are unique to you, they're probably not. That's why the Native Advertising Institute put together this executive summary, a snapshot of its annual benchmark study on the state of branded content and native advertising in 2026, based on responses from more than 75 studios worldwide. It breaks down 15 key insights covering budgets, formats, and how studios are adapting to AI and algorithm shifts.

Maybe your numbers have shifted and you want to know if that's normal. Maybe you're figuring out your format strategy, curious how AI is landing across the industry, or just nosy about what everyone else in branded content is dealing with right now. Whatever brought you here, this summary is built to answer it.

Download the Native Advertising Institute's executive summary today and see how your media company stacks up against the rest of the industry in 2026.

Download the Report

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The Branded Content Project is designed through a strategic partnership between Local Media Association and the Local Media Consortium, with funding from Knight Foundation, to help facilitate additional growth, engagement, and revenue success for more publishers of all shapes and sizes.