Only a few spots left to join us for the Digiday Publishing Summit

Join us Sept. 14-16 in Miami to connect with top publishing leaders

SECURE YOUR SEAT

The ‘topic du jour’ for publishers and ad tech companies: Ad blockers

Everyone is battling ad blockers, from publishers to ad tech companies. At last week’s Digiday Publishing Summit, Complex Media’s CEO Rich Antoniello says ad blocking is “a really serious thing” for him in particular: Up to 21 percent of his audience uses ad blockers, an increase from just 8 percent a year ago. (The company even fines its own employees who use ad blockers. Antoniello said, “the cookie jar is filling.”) Kenneth Suh of Unruly called ad blocking “the topic du jour,” though we’re only in the early days of the phenomenon. Here’s what publishers and ad tech companies had to say on ad blocking.

More in Media

Media Briefing: What to expect at the Digiday Publishing Summit, September 2026 edition

Here’s a sneak peek at the topics that will be discussed onstage during the Digiday Publishing Summit, September 2026 edition.

A stylized illustration of a retro TV screen displaying a hand holding colorful shopping bags, symbolizing the connection between CTV advertising, retail media, and consumer purchase data.

Location data fuels mall giant Simon’s new pitch to advertisers

Simon is letting brands target shoppers in its malls in other environments and use new measurement tools based on Simon’s consumer data.

Why brands are turning to older creators for authenticity AI can’t fake

Millennial and Gen X content creators offer consistency, authenticity, and storytelling; three things brands need now more than ever.