DIGIDAY+ MEMBER EXCLUSIVES
AI ‘girlfriend ads’ are fueling a new wave of MFA sites
AI-generated “girlfriend ads” are driving traffic to made-for-advertising sites filled with low-quality content and ads.
OpenAI's ads program matures
Media
Reuters and Time adopt bot-blocking whitelists to rein in AI crawlers
Reuters and Time adopt a ‘block-all’ AI bot strategy, part of a broader publisher move toward whitelist-only access.
Google’s AI opt-out leaves publishers with a choice they can’t safely use
The CMA has, on paper, given publishers a right to refuse AI in search. But because it’s opt-out, and Google is slow-walking the data needed to judge the impact, that right is barely usable, publishers say.
YouTube’s AI remix push exposes a looming reckoning for the creator economy
YouTube’s Gemini Omni integration has highlighted some of the major problems generative AI poses in the creator economy.
Marketing
Ad Tech Briefing: The crunch conversations at Cannes Lions now Publicis is buying LiveRamp
Agencies and marketers are rethinking identity infrastructure, and there are a few ways forward.
ChatGPT ads land in U.K. as OpenAI outlines EU privacy rules
OpenAI has updated its EU ad policy to confirm personalized ads will only be served to users who explicitly opt in.
TikTok now has a seat next to Amazon and Walmart in RFPs
TikTok Shop has earned its place in the brief. What nobody has worked out yet, is who should actually run it.
Future of TV
Future of TV Briefing: How TV-streaming ad sellers are pitching fluidity in this year’s upfront market
This week’s Future of TV Briefing looks at how AMC Global Media, Disney, Paramount, TelevisaUnivision and Warner Bros. Discovery are combining their linear TV and streaming inventory for ad sales.
Future of TV Briefing: How AI agents will figure into this year’s upfront negotiations
This week’s Future of TV Briefing looks at the conversations that upfront sellers including Disney, Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery are looking to have with advertisers regarding incorporating AI agents in ad buys.
Digiday+ Research: The marketers’ 2026 guide to a shifting CTV landscape, including YouTube, Peacock and Roku
Digiday+ Research’s fifth annual report analyzes the state of ad-supported streaming and the challenges those companies pose to marketers.
Media Buying
Mile Marker acquires Lift to enhance its creative and digital performance chops
The PE-owned independent continues to acquire shops that round its offerings, the latest adding creative and performance assets as the two explore how to apply AI.
How automation and AI is reshaping the traditional upfront marketplace
As programmatic automation and AI agents reshape the traditional upfront marketplace, media buyers are navigating a new balance.
Liftoff CEO on the IPO rebound, AppLovin comparisons, and why mobile apps remain an AI growth story
As Liftoff Mobile raises $437 million, Jeremy Bondy explains its return to the public markets and how the app economy still has room to grow.
Annual research reports
Research
Upfronts
Future of TV Briefing: The upfront is overtaking streaming’s programmatic marketplace
This week’s Future of TV Briefing looks at how major TV and streaming ad sellers are seeing upfront deals represent a larger share of their programmatic businesses.
Why Amazon and YouTube pitched operating systems, not just TV inventory at this year’s upfront
Negotiations over identity, infrastructure, AI-driven buying take place as much as programing.
How publishers are playing a more active role in the agentic era
The agentic era is already here, and it’s moving fast. The media industry has gone from concept to live campaigns in record time. Yet nearly one-third of publishers have no immediate plans to invest in agentic solutions, putting them at risk of falling behind. For publishers with strong first-party data, robust identity infrastructure and established […]
Luxury brands have been involved with the World Cup for years, and watch brands are no different. Brands like Hublot and Tag Heuer have dabbled in being official timekeepers or event sponsors, but until now, no brand has ever made officially licensed World Cup watches.
Luxury brands have been involved with the World Cup for years, and watch brands are no different. Brands like Hublot and Tag Heuer have dabbled in being official timekeepers or event sponsors, but until now, no brand has ever made officially licensed World Cup watches.
Walmart is on a mission to prove that it has the latest, greatest and trendiest assortment, and that it can get it to you faster than anyone else. Last week, reporter Mitchell Parton flew down to the retailer’s hometown of Bentonville, Arkansas for Associates Week, its annual shareholder meeting and event where it brings in thousands of employees from around the world. Here’s what he found.
Walmart is on a mission to prove that it has the latest, greatest and trendiest assortment, and that it can get it to you faster than anyone else. Last week, reporter Mitchell Parton flew down to the retailer’s hometown of Bentonville, Arkansas for Associates Week, its annual shareholder meeting and event where it brings in thousands of employees from around the world. Here’s what he found.