Vendor reportTinuiti, 2026

YouTube ad prices in Q2 2026 were still falling, but only by 3% year over year, after drops of 18% and 21% in the two previous quarters

Channel validation

Quarter	CPM growth (%)
Q4 2025	-18%
Q1 2026	-21%
Q2 2026	-3%

YouTube Ads Y/Y Growth: CPM growth for Tinuiti-managed US advertisers

Reader Note:: The comparison is with a 21% fall a quarter earlier, so prices are still below where they were a year ago — this is a smaller decline, not a rise. Over the same quarter impressions grew 19% while spend grew 15%, which is the same pattern seen from the other side. The sample is restricted to programmes that stayed active on a consistent strategy, so advertisers who cut back are not in it.
Evidence:: Observed behaviour
Vendor interest:: High — This comes from a company with a commercial interest in this market, so it is not a neutral source.
Sample:: Anonymized performance data from Tinuiti-managed advertising programs representing over $4 billion in annual digital ad spend; sample restricted to programs that remained active and maintained a consistent strategy over the periods studied; mostly same-client growth.

Good for

Comparing yourself against a similar segment, and choosing what to test next.

Not for

Saying that one thing caused another, or predicting what you would get.
This comes from a company with a commercial interest in this market, so it is not a neutral source.
This was measured in one market. It may not hold where you are.
This is an aggregated or average number that covers very different cases. Real results in a particular segment may differ.

4.4x

How much better an AI search visitor converts compared to an organic search visitor, on average

of Google searches that showed an AI summary ended with a click on a link inside that summary (US, March 2025)

20% of Gen Z and 17% of Millennials discover new brands through influencer endorsements, vs 12% of Gen X and 5% of Boomers

Share of each generation who discover new brands via influencer endorsements
Generation	Share who discover brands through influencers (%)
Gen Z	20%
Millennials	17%
Gen X	12%
Baby Boomers	5%

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11.4%

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is the short-term ROI index for influencer campaigns in the UK, right on the market average with 4.5% of short-term sales (excluding campaigns that produced no result)

21–26%

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YouTube ad prices in Q2 2026 were still falling, but only by 3% year over year, after drops of 18% and 21% in the two previous quarters

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