Publisher State of the Union 2025
Publishers are at a tipping point, caught between rising ad demands, fractured tech stacks, and a cookieless future. The Publisher State of the Union 2025 report reveals how media leaders are navigating identity loss, scaling personalization, and doubling down on high-impact, reader-friendly monetization.
Inside the Report:
- 84% of publishers say email is important to their business—but only 18% personalize newsletters, leaving huge gaps in monetization and retention.
- AI is gaining traction, but only 18% have integrated it meaningfully. Most are stuck in experimentation, missing its potential to scale personalization and content performance.
- 72% plan to increase ad density, even as most admit it harms UX—highlighting a clear tension between short-term revenue and long-term trust.
- Only 14% have robust identity strategies, leaving the majority blind to who’s on their site and unable to personalize experiences or optimize ad targeting.
- Reader revenue is rising, with 68% now offering DTC eCommerce and 100% of revenue leaders calling subscription platforms a must-have for 2025/26.
By downloading this report, you'll also unlock access to our AI-powered analyst, an on-demand companion to help you explore trends by role, revenue stream, or technology. Ask specific questions, get tailored takeaways, and turn insights into action—faster.
“This report reflects the real-world challenges and strategies of publishing leaders across editorial, revenue, product, ad ops, and audience development, from the C-Suite to the hands-on managers making it all happen. It’s not theory, it’s what the industry’s most influential voices are doing right now to future-proof their business.”
Diva Renton-Roderix, Director of Marketing in Ads & Publishing, Wunderkind
