REPORT

The 2026 Sonder Owned Media Global Report, developed in partnership with the CMO Council, reveals the true scale of a rapidly emerging growth engine: a $573 billion global commercial opportunity that most brands and retailers have yet to fully unlock. While the United States represents more than one-third of this potential, the majority of owned media value sits outside the U.S., signaling massive upside in international markets. At a time when global retail media is projected to reach $160 billion, less than 30% of owned media’s total commercial potential is currently being captured—leaving hundreds of billions in untapped value across retail, commerce, and brand-owned environments.

The report also reframes where the next wave of growth will come from. While websites dominate owned media at a global level, that picture is heavily skewed by online pureplay giants. For brands and omnichannel retailers, physical retail emerges as the single largest owned media opportunity, accounting for 33% of potential when pureplay e-commerce is excluded—outpacing even email. The 2026 Owned Media Global Report makes it clear: the future of monetization won’t be driven by a single channel, but by how effectively brands activate their full owned footprint, especially the in-store experiences that remain vastly underleveraged today.

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