RETAIL SALES EXPECTED TO GROW IN ‘26

The National Retail Federation has released its retail spending projections for 2026, and they foresee YOY growth of 4.4%. This would be higher growth than we’ve seen in more than a decade, not counting the anomalous 2020-2022 pandemic period. All in, retail sales (not including cars, gas, and restaurants) could total $5.6 trillion this year. You may be thinking, “Well, of course spending is going up, it’s inflation!” NRF points out that a “meaningful portion” of the growth would represent real gains and isn’t solely due to inflation-driven price hikes. (NRF: March 18, 2026)

WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC SETS VIEWERSHIP RECORDS

The World Baseball Classic is coming into its own, as evidenced by the audience it drew for the championship game between the U.S. and Venezuela. On Fox and Fox Deportes, an average of 10.8 million tuned in, peaking at 12.1 million from 10:30-10:45 pm ET. That’s a larger audience than any non-World Series MLB game last season and outperformed most of the 2025 NBA Finals games. (Sports Business Journal: March 19, 2026)

WOMEN FEEL UNDERREPRESENTED IN ADVERTISING

As Women’s History Month draws to a close, it’s even more noteworthy that many women do not feel they are accurately or adequately portrayed in advertising. In the new report “The Relevance Gap” from brand insights company Zappi, fewer than 1 in 5 women say they very often see accurate representations of themselves in advertising. There are financial implications: nearly 45% of women say they have changed their spending behavior due to advertising that didn’t feel relevant to them. Most of those surveyed also see International Women’s Day advertising as a marketing moment and not an indication of a company’s full commitment. (Zappi: March 4, 2026)

NCAA WOMEN DRAW BIG AD DOLLARS

Advertising rates come down to supply and demand, and demand for the NCAA Women’s Basketball tournament has driven the cost of a 30-second spot in the April 5 Championship Game on ABC to as much as $1.5 million. It’s the second year in a row that they’ve hit the million-dollar mark. With just a couple of units left and demand still high, it’s likely the remaining spots will sell quickly and at a premium price. (Adweek: March 20, 2026)