For years, digital advertising has relied on a predictable formula: companies buy space on third-party platforms, from search engines to social media, competing for consumer attention in an increasingly crowded marketplace. But as advertising costs rise, privacy regulations reshape the digital ecosystem, and companies seek more direct relationships with their customers, a new model is emerging—one that puts businesses back in control.
Owned media networks are quietly reshaping the future of advertising.
Retailers like Walmart, Amazon, and Target have already turned their websites, apps, and loyalty programs into multi-billion-dollar advertising platforms. Now, the same strategy is spreading far beyond retail. Banks, airlines, telecom providers, and even hospitality brands are leveraging their owned digital and physical assets to create high-margin media businesses. The advertising industry is at an inflection point, and companies that fail to recognize the shift risk losing out on one of the most significant revenue opportunities of the decade.
The Decline of Third-Party Dependence
For most of digital advertising’s history, brands have rented access to audiences through third-party platforms like Google, Meta, and programmatic ad networks. This approach worked well when audience data was easily accessible, targeting was precise, and the costs were manageable. But those advantages are quickly eroding.
Privacy regulations such as GDPR and CCPA have made third-party tracking more difficult, and browser updates and privacy features will further disrupt long-established targeting strategies. As brands lose access to external data, the value of first-party data—the insights businesses gather directly from their own customers—has skyrocketed.
At the same time, digital advertising costs have soared. Competition for ad space on major platforms has intensified, driving up the price of reaching customers. Research indicates that advertising costs on platforms like Meta and Google have nearly doubled in recent years, forcing brands to spend more just to maintain the same level of visibility. In this landscape, continuing to rely exclusively on external platforms is not just expensive—it’s unsustainable.
Owned media networks offer a solution. Instead of paying rising costs to reach audiences on third-party platforms, companies can monetize the media environments they already control, turning customer interactions into advertising opportunities. The shift is not just about cost savings; it’s about reclaiming control over audience relationships and data.
A Revenue Opportunity Too Big to Ignore
What began as a strategy for retailers has quickly become a multi-industry movement. The world’s biggest retail media networks are now worth more than $150 billion annually, with projections showing continued rapid growth. But while retail has been at the forefront, other industries are catching up fast.
Financial institutions, for example, are leveraging their vast pools of transactional data to create highly targeted advertising ecosystems. Chase and PayPal have both launched advertising platforms that allow brands to reach consumers based on real purchasing behavior, rather than relying on inferred interests from third-party platforms. Travel and hospitality brands are doing the same—United Airlines’ media network, Kinective, turns flight screens, digital itineraries, and loyalty programs into advertising spaces, offering brands direct access to a highly engaged, captive audience.
The economics of owned media networks are compelling. While traditional digital advertising often operates on thin margins, owned media can be far more profitable. Some retail media networks report profit margins as high as 90%, a stark contrast to the escalating costs of third-party advertising. Even companies that don’t traditionally think of themselves as media networks are realizing they have valuable ad real estate within their digital ecosystems.
The Ticking Clock on First-Mover Advantage
The rapid rise of owned media networks signals a clear shift in digital advertising, but it also presents a narrowing window of opportunity. Companies that establish their owned media strategy now will have a first-mover advantage, securing advertising partners, building out technology, and setting pricing before the market becomes saturated. Those that wait risk being left behind.
Industry analysts predict that within the next five years, owned media networks will be a standard revenue stream for most large enterprises. The transition is already happening—two-thirds of marketers say they plan to increase their investment in owned media this year. Yet, at the same time, many companies still have no strategy in place, leaving untapped revenue sitting on the table.
For businesses, the question is no longer whether owned media networks will play a role in the future of advertising. The question is whether they will be the ones profiting from it—or watching from the sidelines as their competitors take the lead.
