The Brief – Thursday 4 December – Global ad spend forecast, WPP demoted from FTSE 100, the Economists revenue grew and more

📈 According to Denstu’s latest Global Ad Spend Forecast, global advertising spend is forecast to increase 5.1% in 2026, surpassing $1tn in the US for the first time. (Dentsu)

📉 WPP is set to be demoted from the FTSE 100 after its share price has fallen to levels last seen in the 1990s. It is currently the lowest-valued company in the FTSE 100 with a market capitalisation of £3.2bn, and is lower valued than more than a dozen FTSE 250 companies. (The Times)

🛍️ The average price of items on TikTok Shop has climbed across over a dozen key categories over the past year. The average unit price for footwear between April 2024 and October 2024 was $14.06; over the same period in 2025, it rose to $28.64. (Digiday)

📰 The Economist grew revenue 4% year on year to £170.3m and profit before tax 28% to £19.7m in the six months to 30 September. The half-year results come as Lynn Forester de Rothschild has put her 27% stake in the publisher up for sale. (Press Gazette)

📱 YouTube has finally agreed to comply with Australia’s social media ban for users under the age of 16. The company had previously fought its inclusion in the law. Beginning on 10 December, anyone under the age of 16 will automatically be signed out of their YouTube account, with viewers and video creators able to regain access upon turning 16. (Bloomberg)

📺 Warner Bros Discovery is rolling out HBO Max to Austria, Germany, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg and Switzerland on 13 January. Apart from launching in the UK & Ireland, which is yet to be announced, this will complete the streaming service’s European rollout. (Variety)

⚽ Goalhanger is teaming up with Netflix to bring popular football podcast The Rest is Football to the streaming giant. A daily version of the show, hosted by Gary Lineker, Alan Shearer and Micah Richards, will be presented on Netflix during next year’s Fifa World Cup. (Deadline)

🙃 The fifth and final season of Netflix’s Stranger Things racked up 59.6m global views in its first five days, according to first-party data — the highest opening week total for any English-language series on the platform (behind the 68m views for season two of Squid Game). (The Hollywood Reporter)