Here’s today’s AdExchanger.com news round-up… Want it by email? Sign up here.
Trial And Error
Here’s a mouthful: The Google Chrome team has announced a “deprecation trial” so some third-party vendors can retain legacy services that depend on third-party cookies when cookie deprecation happens next year.
What does that mean in layman’s terms? Vendors can continue using third-party cookies to fulfill site services even as Chrome expands the number of users in its cookie deprecation pool.
To date, cookie deprecation has been tested among a small cohort of user volunteers. In January, Chrome will put 1% of all users in cookie deprecation mode.
However, ad tech vendors shouldn’t get excited about an extra year before their post-cookie diet begins. According to the Chrome Developer post, no ad services are eligible for the trial, which closes Dec. 27, 2024. By the end of next year, third-party cookies should be fully gone for the web, trial or not.
And unlike similar previous trials, vendors will have to apply to participate.
The Chrome team will use Disconnect.me, a privacy-focused browser extension that keeps a registry of ad services to identify problematic scripts. Chrome will also require vendors to provide steps for how to reproduce any examples of user experiences that are broken by third-party cookie deprecation.
Streaming Is Slimming Down
Now that the Hollywood strikes are over, studios are releasing new shows and movie slates – but certain productions are hitting the cutting room floor.
These cuts in the name of profitability are jarring compared to the go-go-go mindset behind the past decade’s streaming content boom.
Paramount’s movie production pipeline, for instance, is almost two-thirds smaller than it was this time last year, according to data from Reelgood. To be fair, Paramount delayed some releases to align with the rebrand of ad-free Paramount+ With Showtime. Still, slashing its film slate while raising subscription prices is a tough value exchange proposition.
Warner Bros. Discovery has been making similar moves. It has 15% fewer film titles on its consolidated streaming service, Max, compared to HBO Max and Discovery+ last year.
Some streaming services are adding content – but not much. Growth in movie titles on Disney+ and Netflix are just above flat.
Streamers aren’t just skimping on content to pocket extra cash. Most services are in their profitability phase, so there’s a very strong emphasis on profitable growth, as opposed to growth at all costs.
Yaccarino’s Musky Mess
The X-crement is still hitting the fan over X’s latest brand safety controversy.
Last week, a Media Matters report found ads appearing alongside pro-Nazi tweets – not to mention that X owner Elon Musk seemingly supported a post accusing Jewish people of financing anti-white hate.
In response, Apple, IBM, Lionsgate, Disney, Paramount, Warner Bros. Discovery and Comcast/NBCU pulled their budgets (among others). Now, ad industry execs are pressuring X CEO Linda Yaccarino to resign, Forbes reports.
Yaccarino has been trying to draw advertisers back after they fled in suspicion that Musk’s “free speech absolutist” philosophy would turn the platform into a brand safety nightmare. In response to this latest exodus, Musk tweeted that advertisers are “the greatest oppressors of your right to free speech.” Okay.
And here’s something Musk apparently doesn’t consider a threat to free speech: suing reporters. Musk is now threatening to sue Media Matters, claiming the watchdog gamed X’s algorithm to make the ads appear next to pro-Nazi content. However, Musk’s legal threat confirms that the platform did indeed serve ad impressions next to the posts in question.
“The advertising community is now working to save the reputation of a beloved member of our industry,” Ad Fontes Media’s Lou Paskalis told Axios, regarding Yaccarino. But, so far, she appears to be sticking by Musk.
In other X news: The platform has opted out of undergoing an MRC brand safety audit, Digiday reports. Quelle surprise.
But Wait, There’s More!
Are you sick of hearing about X? (We’re sorry.) Right-wing influencers pledge to bail out X with ad support as brands flee. [NY Post] Meanwhile, X is counting on its revived political ad business to attract spend in 2024. [Semafor]
Working from home spurs online ad-blocking rates to rise. [Adweek]
Influencer or creator? Here’s how marketers can know who to hire. [Digiday]
The FCC adopts new rules to protect consumers from SIM-swapping attacks. [Bleeping Computer]
More than 600 OpenAI employees threaten to quit and follow former CEO Sam Altman to Microsoft unless the company’s board resigns. [Wired]
You’re Hired!
Microsoft hires ousted OpenAI CEO Sam Altman to lead its new AI research team. [Fortune]
Meanwhile, OpenAI hires former Twitch CEO Emmett Shear as interim CEO. [Washington Post]
