Ad tech rebuilt itself around identity resolution and clean rooms once third-party cookies disappeared. Coverage here spans SSAI, programmatic CTV, ad-supported tier economics, frequency capping, and the measurement approaches replacing the old playbook.
Affle has launched MediasmartTV, a self-serve platform designed to bring mobile-style performance tracking to CTV advertising. The platform utilizes IP addresses and household signals to enable a cost-per-converted-user (CPCU) model, allowing advertisers to measure outcomes like app installs and purchases on television screens.
The Video Futures Collective's inaugural State of Streaming report indicates that 66% of Australians prefer streaming over broadcast, with ad-supported viewers showing higher purchasing intent. The report, which incorporates data from Samsung Ads and IAB Australia, projects a 21% increase in VOD advertising investment for 2027.
Record midterm political ad spending is driving up CPMs and causing inventory pre-emptions for regional advertisers on linear and CTV platforms. This surge is forcing non-political advertisers to shift budgets toward ad-free streaming services or pause campaigns, further tightening inventory availability during the critical fourth quarter.
Magnite released a research report surveying 905 South Korean adults regarding their consumption habits of ad-supported streaming services. The findings emphasize the growing importance of cross-screen advertising strategies, including the integration of mobile and connected TV, as well as consumer openness to generative AI in ad formats.
NDTV has deployed Amagi's AdFlow Orchestrator to automate the restructuring of linear SCTE-35 ad markers for FAST and CTV distribution. The tool enables the broadcaster to segment long commercial breaks into platform-specific formats without requiring manual feed re-editing, aiming to improve ad fill rates and viewer engagement.
Madhive has partnered with AdImpact to integrate competitive advertising spend data into its Maverick AI platform. The integration allows users to analyze ad activity across linear and CTV, providing granular market intelligence for local media planning.
A study conducted by WPP Media and Amazon Ads across eight UK brands found that Prime Video advertising campaigns generated a mean sales lift of 1.65 percent. The research utilized geo-lift solutions and marketing mix modeling to isolate the incremental impact of streaming TV on short-term commercial outcomes.
Marriott International and LG Electronics have launched a cloud-based guest room entertainment platform that integrates linear TV, streaming, and FAST channels with centralized device management. The system is currently piloting at 40 hotels in the U.S. and Canada, with plans to scale globally and eventually integrate IoT-connected room services.
Seven Media Group is implementing a cross-platform audience strategy that integrates TV, audio, and digital assets through unified audience IDs and the expansion of its Phoenix trading platform. The company is also exploring a joint venture with Nine to improve BVOD ad-buying efficiency and reduce supply-chain costs.
Disney's decision to distribute Super Bowl LXI across ABC, Disney+, and multiple cable networks has sparked concerns among local affiliates regarding a projected 35 percent decline in local advertising revenue. The lack of geofenced dynamic ad insertion on Disney+ prevents local stations from monetizing streaming audiences, highlighting a critical gap in current streaming infrastructure for broadcast partners.
OpenX reports that 37% of programmatic spend now utilizes supply-side targeting, with adoption in connected television reaching 51%. The shift is driven by buyer efforts to bypass DSP infrastructure limitations and gain better access to content-level signals.
Advertisers are developing strategies to capitalize on the upcoming release of Grand Theft Auto VI by utilizing contextual ad technology and interactive overlays on livestreaming platforms. Companies like InStreamly and Livewire are providing tools to help brands reach gaming audiences through stream-integrated ad formats and audience-targeting data.
California has enacted Senate Bill 1050, which mandates clear disclosure for advertisements featuring AI-generated synthetic performers starting January 1, 2027. The law imposes new compliance obligations on streaming services and advertising platforms, requiring them to remove non-compliant ads upon receipt of a court order.
LinkedIn has expanded its B2B audience targeting capabilities to Google's Display & Video 360 (DV360) for connected TV advertising. This integration allows programmatic buyers to leverage LinkedIn's professional data within their existing DV360 workflows, complementing existing partnerships with The Trade Desk and Amazon Ads.
AdPlayer.Pro has launched a new CTV ad server designed for enterprise broadcasters and streaming services. The platform supports real-time OpenRTB auctions, VAST integration, and ad podding to provide independent infrastructure for inventory and demand management.
Nexxen and agency Brainlabs executed a CTV home screen advertising campaign on Hisense Smart TVs for a global retailer, generating over 8.1 million impressions. The campaign utilized native home screen placements to reach viewers during a major international soccer tournament.
Netflix has lowered its 2026 advertising revenue forecast from $3 billion to $2.7 billion amid challenges in converting long-term subscribers to its ad-supported tier. The company faces increased competition from Amazon's default ad-supported Prime Video model and is currently evaluating strategies to improve its programmatic and upfront ad sales performance.
Microsoft has introduced paid playtime passes for Xbox Cloud Gaming, starting at $3.99 for 10 hours, alongside a new ad-supported free tier. These options allow users to extend cloud gaming access beyond the upcoming monthly hour caps for Game Pass subscribers.
Comscore has launched The Score Report, a monthly measurement tool designed to track television advertising exposure across broadcast, cable, and streaming platforms. The report provides an alternative to Nielsen's The Gauge by focusing on ad exposure metrics rather than total time spent, highlighting the ongoing industry shift toward alternative measurement currencies.
High demand for NBA advertising inventory across streaming platforms like Amazon and Peacock has led to sellouts, forcing marketers to shift budgets toward creator-led strategies and social media. Streaming ad spend for the NBA reached $874 million last season, reflecting a broader industry trend of advertisers targeting younger, digitally inclined audiences through non-traditional channels.
ABC affiliates are protesting Disney's decision to distribute the Super Bowl across multiple streaming and cable platforms, citing a potential 35% reduction in local advertising revenue. The dispute highlights the tension between network-wide streaming distribution strategies and the traditional local broadcast advertising model.
LinkedIn has integrated its first-party professional audience data into Google’s Display & Video 360 (DV360) to enable B2B advertisers to target CTV campaigns based on job titles and industries. This integration aims to bridge the gap between professional social media data and streaming environments to improve ad targeting precision.
Seven Media Group has launched Seven iD, a unified first-party data identity platform, and announced the development of the Phoenix Exchange trading ecosystem. These initiatives aim to integrate audience targeting and cross-platform ad buying across the group's broadcast, radio, and digital assets.
A study by Northeastern University researchers found that Samsung and Vizio smart TVs continue to transmit automatic content recognition (ACR) data even after users have opted out of tracking. The findings suggest that privacy settings on major smart TV operating systems may not effectively prevent data collection, raising concerns about the transparency of ACR implementations.
Netflix has expanded its advertising measurement capabilities by launching an enhanced conversion API and integrating in-DSP measurement tools with The Trade Desk and Yahoo. These updates allow advertisers to track over 20 lower-funnel conversion events and utilize first-party audience data to better measure ad performance and ROI.
Madhive has integrated AdImpact's competitive advertising spend data into its Maverick AI platform to provide local media buyers and sellers with granular market intelligence. The partnership aims to improve cross-channel planning and ad targeting across linear and connected TV, particularly for the 2026 midterm election cycle.
Spotter CEO Aaron DeBevoise argues that 6,000 top-tier YouTube creators represent a new prime time that is currently undervalued by advertisers. He suggests that programmatic buying limitations prevent brands from effectively targeting this high-engagement content, which he claims outperforms traditional media metrics.
Comscore's August 2026 report indicates that streaming accounts for 22.3% of TV ad exposure time, trailing broadcast and cable despite high CTV viewership. The data highlights a persistent gap between streaming consumption and ad-addressable reach, with YouTube, Tubi, and Hulu leading the streaming category.
Ateme and Viamedia have formed a strategic partnership to integrate Ateme’s monetization platform with Viamedia’s ViaSSP. The collaboration aims to provide independent and regional video operators with a simplified, programmatic TV advertising solution to generate new revenue streams.
FloSports has secured a multiyear exclusive global streaming partnership with the National Lacrosse League, launching a dedicated FloLacrosse channel to host live events and editorial content. The deal leverages FloSports' existing FAST channel distribution on platforms like Prime Video and LG Channels to expand the league's reach.
Amazon is leveraging its Thursday Night Football broadcasts to recruit non-marketplace advertisers into its broader Amazon DSP ecosystem. The strategy aims to bridge entertainment reach with retail shopping data, though the actual revenue impact and performance metrics remain undisclosed.
Revlon is leveraging Amazon's interactive video ad formats to enable direct, in-stream product purchases for beauty campaigns. This integration allows brands to measure ad performance against actual sales data within Amazon's closed-loop ecosystem.
Ateme and Viamedia have announced a partnership to integrate Ateme's monetization platform with Viamedia's ViaSSP supply platform. The collaboration aims to provide independent and regional video operators with a simplified, programmatic advertising solution to generate new revenue streams.
Whale TV has appointed Vanessa Delgado and Naguib Elkhangy to lead advertising sales for Latin America and emerging markets respectively. The appointments follow a year in which the smart TV operating system reported a tripling of its advertising revenue.
C15 Studio has expanded its FAST channel distribution by launching four sports-focused channels on the MyFree DIRECTV platform. This partnership increases the total number of sports channels on the service to 43, further integrating C15's branded content into the DIRECTV ecosystem.
The NBA is expanding its digital ecosystem by partnering with 500 content creators and launching dedicated hubs on X and TikTok to drive live game viewership. The league is also scaling its Tap to Watch feature globally to simplify fan access to local broadcast rights holders.
A Forrester Consulting study commissioned by Smartly indicates that 95% of decision-makers believe creative variety and speed are more critical to CTV ad performance than audience targeting. The report advocates for B2B brands to adopt modular, social-style creative workflows and unified measurement systems to improve ad efficacy.
Apple Podcasts is reporting significant audience growth following the integration of HLS video streaming and is currently collaborating with hosting providers and ad networks to build a video-specific advertising marketplace. The initiative aims to support dynamic ad insertion and visual ad formats while maintaining the platform's existing RSS-based distribution model.
Nine has restructured its commercial leadership team to centralize ad-tech infrastructure and unify its metro and regional broadcast sales. The reorganization aims to reduce operational friction and accelerate programmatic sales across its BVOD, SVOD, and publishing platforms.
Hearst Magazines has expanded its AI-driven Aura ad targeting platform into connected TV, launching Aura TV to enable identity-independent advertising. The company reports that the platform, which utilizes predictive AI and first-party data, has achieved a 40% increase in conversion efficiency for CTV campaigns.
VideoAmp is integrating AI agents into its platform to bridge the gap between media planning and measurement by leveraging publisher log-level data and ACR insights. This strategic pivot follows a significant workforce reduction and a leadership restructuring that included the departure of CEO Ross McCray.
A new report from OpenX indicates that supply-side targeting (SST) spend doubled in 2025, with CTV-specific spend increasing 500% since 2022. The data suggests a shift among buyers toward utilizing predictive modeling and data fidelity tools directly within SSPs rather than relying on traditional inventory curation.
ShowSeeker is integrating programmatic advertising and creative management into its Pilot platform to unify linear and digital ad sales workflows. The company, acquired by Spectrum Reach in 2025, aims to automate the end-to-end buying process by 2027 to improve efficiency across linear and CTV inventory.
The HbbTV Association has added five new members—Admongrel, Konodrac, NIQ, TVekstra, and wedotv—following the introduction of new membership tiers. These additions support the organization's new Application Interest Groups focused on audience measurement, advanced advertising, and identity management.
Plex has integrated Fandango's ticketing services into its platform, allowing U.S. users to purchase movie tickets directly from theatrical title pages. The partnership aims to provide studios and advertisers with a measurable conversion path from content discovery to ticket sales.
Netflix France reported that its ad-supported tier has reached 12 million monthly users and claims an incremental sales return of €7.20 for every €1 invested in advertising. The data, presented at the company's first French Upfront, suggests that 60 percent of new subscribers in the region are opting for the ad-supported plan.
Channel 4 Sales is launching Instant Re4ch, an advertising product that enables coordinated campaign launches across linear and streaming inventory from Channel 4, Paramount, UKTV, and Narrative. The service provides a single buying point for advertisers to reach audiences across multiple broadcasters and platforms, with availability starting in January 2027.
LG Ad Solutions has extended its partnership with Magnite for three years, maintaining SpringServe as its exclusive CTV ad server. The agreement also integrates LG Home Screen inventory into Magnite’s agentic buying tools to automate programmatic workflows for advertisers.
Ampere Analysis reports that ad-supported SVOD subscribers consume less content than ad-free users, leading platforms to shift content strategies toward reality programming and live sports. These genres are being prioritized for their superior ad-insertion potential and higher viewer retention compared to scripted dramas.
The U.S. Federal Circuit has affirmed the dismissal of a patent infringement lawsuit brought by Piranha Media Distribution against Hulu. The court ruled that the asserted ad-insertion patents were ineligible under 35 U.S.C. 101, characterizing the claims as directed to the abstract idea of preventing ad-skipping using routine computer activities.
James Varndell · Bitmovin
