Media

From ad tech tax to AI data brokers: the new middlemen keep 100%, publishers say

For some publishers, third-party content scraping lands as an even bigger affront than the ad tech tax they’ve spent years navigating – not a share of the pie, but the pie itself. 

Taboola’s next act: an AI answer engine for publishers

HuffPost UK, Reach and USA Today Co. are rolling out Taboola’s AI-powered answer engine to boost engagement.

USA Today Co.’s AI licensing deals drive ‘notable’ revenue in Q1, despite pressure on traffic and programmatic

USA Today Co.’s AI licensing deals helped drive meaningful year-over-year revenue growth in Q1, despite pressure on traffic and programmatic.

Marketing

TikTok recreates its ads for billboards through Vistar partnership

Partnering with Vistar Media, TikTok is rebuilding — not repurposing — ad creative for OOH, with tight control over branding and execution.

OpenAI starts laying foundations for ChatGPT ads in EU

Updates to the company’s conversion pixel signals a consent-first approach to ads in Europe, shaped by stricter EU privacy rules.

Baller League’s creator strategy: reach is not the same as fandom

Baller League’s growth strategy: build fandom first, sell franchises second.

Future of TV

graphic image of a television (TV) with bills of money flying out of it, representing CTV advertising being an effective form of advertising for brands, publishers and consumers.

Future of TV Briefing: Ad tech’s pod bidding push moves CTV toward advancing the live sports ad model in 2026

This week’s Future of TV Briefing looks at how ad tech companies including Comcast’s FreeWheel, Index Exchange and The Trade Desk are preparing CTV’s programmatic supply chain for upgraded auction dynamics amid an influx of live sports ad inventory.

Pinterest debuts audience extension offering on CTV

Advertisers can now purchase Pinterest audiences on third-party properties via its TV Scientific offering.

Meta eyes CTV expansion to fuel its next wave of ad growth

Meta is looking to extend its performance advertising offering onto the biggest screen in the home. 

Media Buying

Illustration of two people talking into megaphones.

Media Buying Briefing: Rival trade bodies emerge to contend programmatic’s future

Agentic media planning and buying could shake up programmatic media. But old politics and new ambitions are dividing key players into camps pursuing consensus – or disruption.

Future of Marketing Briefing: YouTube’s creator data play is an on-ramp, not a destination

YouTube is giving brands something they’ve been asking for. The question is whether getting it makes them want something it can’t yet provide.

The Rundown: Google expands AI Max as automation shifts upstream

Google issues AI Max updates come as parent company Alphabet boasts Q1 revenues of $110 billion.


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