The Big Story

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.

Linear TV is grabbing attention once again. 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, and so are we.

How can companies put ads in new places, but still get the user experience right? Smart TV home screens, like Samsung, are adding programmatic ads. Roblox will show ads to kids under 13. We look at the challenges and opportunities faced by platforms expanding 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 infighting reached a new peak last fall, as LinkedIn flame wars erupted over transaction IDs. OMD Worldwide Chief Media Officer Ben Hovaness, leader of a new programmatic peacekeeping group, talks through the org's goal to encourage more conversation and less conflict.

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.

One reason regulators are paying more attention to data privacy? Their constituents care about this "kitchen table" issue. We open with insights from attending a duo of privacy conferences this week, the IAPP summit and IAB Public Policy & Legal event. Then, we turn to how retail media is mashing up with sports, 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 also 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. Amazon's integration with Prebid is in beta. But there's one sticky point: Microsoft is not going to cache video ad creatives anymore, 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.

The year ahead in commerce, with insights from the NRF Big Show conference, where retailers congregate every January. Plus, the 2026 privacy policy cheat sheet.