The Summer of Momentum: 3 Trends To Shape Your 2026 TV Advertising Strategy

Summer can mean relaxation and downtime for many people, but for advertisers looking to carry momentum into H2, it should mean the opposite. From shifting consumer habits to cultural events commanding massive audiences, this summer in particular will be packed with opportunities for brands across verticals. Here’s what our analysis of those moments, paired with MNTN seasonal advertiser performance data, reveals about the trends to shape your 2026 advertising strategy.

Summer’s Sports and Entertainment Lineup Is a Win for Every Vertical

The summer 2026 sports calendar is stacked, and the marquee event is the FIFA World Cup. This will be the largest World Cup in history, running June 11-July 19 across the U.S., Canada, and Mexico with 48 teams and 104 matches. The 2022 World Cup final was viewed by 26 million Americans, contributing to U.S. soccer viewership growing over 400% in recent years. And the 2026 tournament is set to reach even more fans. FOX Sports alone will deliver 340 hours of first-run programming, with an unprecedented 40 matches airing in primetime. On top of this, Tubi will simulcast matches live in 4K for free, and YouTube will live-stream the opening 10 minutes of every match.

But the World Cup isn’t the only draw. The NBA Finals, which pulled 75 million U.S. viewers in 2025 (up 16% year-over-year), takes place June 3-19. There’s also Wimbledon (June 29-July 12). Last year’s tournament posted its highest average viewership since 2019. For advertisers, that’s nearly two straight months of premium sporting events keeping audiences glued to their screens and over-indexing on sports content.

This kind of sustained sports viewership tends to create a halo effect that lifts engagement well beyond the events themselves. We saw this firsthand during the 2024 Summer Olympics. Across all MNTN advertisers that were live that summer, average visit rates trended upward from the week before the Games through the closing ceremony. In fact, this period produced the highest visit rates of the entire season. The lift wasn’t an isolated spike either; it held strong for four consecutive weeks, pointing to sustained viewer engagement throughout the Games.

You don’t have to sell jerseys to capitalize on these moments. Major sporting events drive spending across verticals. Think new team merch and athletic wear for World Cup and NBA Finals fans. There’s also sunglasses, hats, and travel accessories for those heading to Wimbledon matches. And don’t forget new TVs and sound systems for the millions hosting watch parties. Even food and drink brands benefit as consumers stock up for game day gatherings. When this many people are this locked in to live sports, the spending extends well beyond the stadium.

Live Music Is Adding Even More Fuel

Sports aren’t the only thing filling seats (and screens). The U.S. live music market is projected to hit $19.7 billion in 2026, and this summer’s touring roster reflects that growth: Bad Bunny, Ariana Grande, BTS, Olivia Dean, Bruno Mars, Foo Fighters, and more all have North American dates. These tours are on top of tentpole festivals like Bonnaroo, Lollapalooza, and Outside Lands. Events like this are also shaping travel plans, with 44% of Gen Z saying they’ll travel for a music event this year.

And just like with sports, the spending behavior around live music extends well beyond the headliners. Festival and concert season drives purchases spanning a variety of categories: new outfits and accessories, travel bookings, beauty products like cosmetics and sunscreen, etc. Brands that connect their messaging to these moments can tap into the cultural energy without needing a sponsorship deal.

MNTN advertisers in live entertainment or adjacent industries have seen this momentum build. Comparing summer 2024 to summer 2025, the following improved year-over-year (n<100):

• +75% Average Conversions
• +26% Average Revenue
• -85% Average Cost Per Visit (CPV)

With average conversions and revenue up while CPV went down, these brands weren’t just reaching more people, they were doing so more efficiently.

The Wellness Wave and GLP-1s Are Reshaping Summer Spending

The global wellness market is now worth $6.8 trillion, up 35% since 2019 and outpacing sports, tourism, and tech. One of the biggest forces accelerating this trend? GLP-1 medications. The fitness industry’s total addressable market is expected to grow by $6.8 billion (~20%) from GLP-1 customers alone, and 27% of Americans with weight loss goals plan to use these medications in 2026. GLP-1 users are choosing active vacations over indulgent getaways, investing in wellness experiences, and spending more deliberately with a focus on long-term value.

The wellness wave’s influence on consumer behavior is especially pronounced in summer, when people are outdoors, active, and more conscious of how they feel (both mentally and physically). And MNTN advertisers in the wellness space saw this play out in their performance. Looking at the months leading up to summer 2025 (1/18/25-5/17/25) versus the season itself, key metrics increased (n<100):

• +31% Average Visit Rates
• +21% Average Revenue
• +19% Average Return on Ad Spend (ROAS)

June delivered the highest monthly revenue, led by sub-verticals like athletic and outdoor apparel, vitamins and supplements, and weight loss services. Average order values also rose roughly 15%, reinforcing that health-conscious consumers aren’t just buying more often, they’re spending more per purchase.

For advertisers, the takeaway isn’t just that wellness brands do well in the summer. It’s that this mindset is influencing how consumers spend across categories, from what they wear to where they travel to what they eat. Brands that align their summer messaging with that mindset stand to benefit regardless of industry.

The Hottest Ads Won’t Look Like Ads

The polished 30-second spot is still the epitome of TV advertising, but it’s sharing the stage with something scrappier. Lo-fi creative (intentionally unpolished, phone-shot content that mirrors organic social feeds) now accounts for 42% of top-spending ads. And the performance gap is widening:

• UGC-focused social media posts drove 10.38x higher conversion rates than non-UGC posts in Q3 2025
• TikTok lo-fi ads generate 32% higher watch-through rates than polished counterparts
• On Instagram, lo-fi Reels see 20% stronger performance on average than studio-produced Reels

The generation driving this shift? Gen Z, whose spending is growing 2x faster than previous generations’ at the same age and is expected to add $8.9 trillion to the global economy by 2035. Eighty-five percent engage more with lo-fi video than polished corporate content, and 61% prefer UGC to traditional advertising.

Here’s the twist for advertisers who’ve relied on mobile to reach this cohort: Gen Z is moving to the living room. Connected TV (CTV) now accounts for over 80% of TV usage among 12 to 17-year-olds and nearly 74% among 21 to 34-year-olds. As older Gen Zs control their own households and their earnings grow, they’re bringing their lo-fi preferences to the big screen.

Among MNTN’s top-performing summer 2025 advertisers, several leaned into the lo-fi style of creative across industries like home fragrance, beauty, and fashion. A few common threads stood out:

• Real people (often influencers or internet personalities) speaking directly to camera
• Vertical filming, shot as if on someone’s phone
• Natural settings like someone’s actual home rather than a studio
• Emphasis on product value and real-person reviews
• Social media-style elements like filters and on-screen text

Summer’s chill vibes make it the ideal season to test this approach. And with Gen Z increasingly watching on ad-supported platforms, the creative that performs on social media can also do well on the biggest screen in the house.

Make This Summer Count

Summer 2026 offers a rare convergence of cultural moments, shifting consumer habits, and evolving creative trends. The brands that lean into these signals now will carry momentum well into Q4. For advertisers looking to reach engaged, high-intent audiences this summer, CTV continues to prove itself as a performance channel built for moments exactly like this.