The Big Story

Senior editors Victoria McNally and Alyssa Boyle chat about why ad tech insiders should learn more about the larger TV media industry (via our sister brand Cynopsis!), and what’s new in the world of home screen ads.

Gaming apps are filled with ads for more gaming apps. Why not other advertisers? We go inside AppLovin’s play to bring non-gaming advertisers into the fold.

AI agents could replace direct sales. And a beta product tied to Google’s ad server, dubbed Buyer Direct, could solve this problem better than anyone else, according to our guest Gareth Glaser, co-founder of Gamera and co-host of the podcast Ad Tech Ad Talk.

Women’s sports is having a moment as publishers, advertisers and the tech vendors in between try to capitalize on rising viewership. Digital out-of-home is having a moment, too.

Amazon’s million-dollar sellers are revolting against changes that undercut their margins and change where their ads run. From inside a meeting of these discontented sellers, AdExchanger Senior Editor James Hercher shares how they are fighting back – and why Amazon made these changes.

Marketers are rediscovering MMM. Google Meridian and Meta Robyn are among the tools gaining attention among marketers. We dive into what it means to tie your MMM solution to a search or social media giant. 

From avoiding AI slop to achieving show-level transparency on a CTV buy, we talk through how buyers are supercharging performance by focusing on the content where they place their ads.

Authenticity. Outcomes. Workflow… and containerization? After a week sweating on the Croisette, the AdExchanger team offers you a sweat-free synopsis of the 2026 Cannes Lions.

The broadcast and streaming worlds are being pulled together by a wave of major M&A, from Fox’s $22 billion acquisition of Roku to Paramount’s merger with Warner Bros. Discovery. TV Land, naturally, is watching closely.

How can companies put ads in new places without hurting the user experience? Smart TV makers, like Samsung, are adding programmatic ads to the home screen, and Roblox will now show ads to users under 13. We examine the trade-offs as platforms expand their ad footprint.

A word of caution to digital advertising companies, as they go all in on AI algorithms: They need to build these solutions with ownership, governance and accountability from the start – or AI could sink them with a single mistake.

TV piracy of sports streams is siphoning away millions of viewers. Then: Vox Media and BuzzFeed found new owners this spring, punctuating the end of the pageview era.

Recorded live in Las Vegas at Prog AI, the AdExchanger team tackles a tricky question: As AI floods the feed with chaotic, addictive content and people engage with it, what does “premium” even mean anymore?

This year’s TV Upfronts buzzwords are in: performance, dynamic, AI and fandom We explain why this quartet of phrases wove their way through the presentations.

If a tree falls in a forest, does it make a sound? And if a UID2 doesn’t work, does anyone notice? Inside a UID2 mix-up that has a publisher questioning the value of alt IDs. Then, what Kochava’s settlement with the FTC means for any ad tech company that handles location data.

Take your sunglasses off for this one. Fresh off the POSSIBLE conference in Miami, our reporters debrief on how the marketing industry addressed the subject du jour: AI. Plus: the topics that were conspicuously absent from the conference.

Programmatic tensions peaked last fall as LinkedIn flame wars erupted over transaction IDs. OMD Worldwide Chief Media Officer Ben Hovaness now leads a new group aimed at fostering dialogue and reducing conflict in the space.

With RFPs in flux, diverse-owned media companies are finding ways to use their data to improve reach. Plus: Why we’re in retail media’s “potty-training” phase.

Every company wants an AI-powered product. So what do they all look like? From A/B testing and media optimization to agentic interfaces for customers, we give a rundown on AI’s most popular applications in ad tech.

We open with insights from attending a duo of privacy conferences this week, the IAPP Global Summit and IAB Public Policy & Legal Summit, including one reason regulators are paying more attention to data privacy: Their constituents consider it a “kitchen table” issue. Then, we turn to the mash-up of retail media and sports, which is opening up new opportunities across media and ad tech.

The NewFronts, digital video’s week of splashy sales pitches, is in full swing. Our reporters share what they learned on the ground. Plus: What can ad tech learn from Data, a new off-Broadway play?

Principal-based buying is on the rise, and it’s causing conflict between agencies and ad tech partners. Plus: What are sell-side agents, and how could they help publishers?

2026 is the year CTV will bridge the gap between branding and performance. Fresh off the Convergent TV World event, our team discusses the rise of performance TV, shifting live sports rights and the impact of M&A on the streaming experience in this future-facing episode.

Fees, fees, fees. The Trade Desk is facing market pressure in all directions: from rival DSPs offering lower fee structures, SSPs and agencies clashing over its OpenPath product and bearish investors disappointed with growth. Guest Sarah Caputo, founder of consultancy Fraction Method, tells us why The Trade Desk should reduce its margin and make its fees more transparent.

The strategic value of commerce data continues to rise, as Infillion snaps up Catalina. Then, a court filing reveals where agencies spend clients’ money.

The Winter Olympics show us how far streaming live sports has come – and how much linear viewership remains. Plus: CPGs are pulling back on ad spend, as they steer through economic challenges and the ripple effects of policy decisions.

OpenAI launched ads this week, making ChatGPT the newest canvas for advertising. But not before its biggest competitor, Anthropic, lambasted the decision in a Super Bowl ad.

At the IAB Annual Leadership Meeting this week, IAB CEO David Cohen demanded publishers receive payment from AI companies who are taking their content. As publishers grapple with AI redirecting the attention they receive from consumers, what’s their path forward?

Prebid is on a roll: It will take charge of a seller agent, part of AdCP, and Amazon’s integration with Prebid is in beta. But there’s one sticking point: Microsoft is not going to cache video ad creatives anymore that come through Prebid, leaving publishers scrambling for an alternative.

Ads were going to be a “last resort” for ChatGPT, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman promised two years ago. Now, they’re finally here. Omnicom Digital CEO Jonathan Nelson joins the AdExchanger editorial team to talk through what comes next.