The MadTech Podcast

In today’s Digest, we cover Meta’s ad business set to reach $240bn amid a market surge, Alibaba’s AI revenue posting its 11th straight quarter of triple-digit growth, and Netflix being accused of spying in a Texas lawsuit.

On today’s MadTech Daily we cover TikTok introducing an ad-free subscription in the UK and Byron Allen taking over BuzzFeed as CEO in a $120m buyout. We also discuss Meta being sued over scam ads in California. 

On today’s MadTech Daily we cover Alibaba leaning into AI shopping with a Qwen–Taobao tie-up, Amazon data set to power Netflix ads in the UK from 18th May, and Instagram exploring long-form video on CTV. 

On today’s MadTech Daily, we cover OpenAI expanding ChatGPT ads globally as The Trade Desk’s CSO joins the company, Meta taking Ofcom to court over online safety penalties, and Apple agreeing to a USD$250m payout over Siri AI misrepresentation.

In this episode of The MadTech Podcast, ExchangeWire's head of marketing, Grainne Reid, is joined by COO Lindsay Rowntree and John Still, head of content.The first story this week is the four tech giants collectively earning over $100bn in ad revenue in Q1 of 2026, with Alphabet in the lead. The team discuss areas of growth for the walled gardens and the 'squeeze' of the open web. The second dives into generational differences in news consumption habits, and how news brands can turn that trust into value for advertisers and agency partners. Finally, Omnicom has been testing live media buys with AI agents, cutting out the ad tech middlemen. What does this mean for agencies, and how dramatically could it change the ad tech landscape?0:00 Introduction0:58 How much did Meta, Alphabet, Microsoft, and Amazon earn in ad revenue in Q1?9:45 How are different age groups accessing news?20:01 How is agentic media buying changing the ad tech landscape?

On today’s MadTech Daily we cover Meta preparing AI agents to perform tasks for users, the EU easing AI restrictions, and Meta asking a judge to throw out the verdict for its social media addiction case. 

On today’s MadTech Daily we look at OpenAI expanding ChatGPT ads with a US-based manager and CPA bidding, Amazon taking aim at supply chain dominance, and publishers suing Meta over AI training copyright claims.

On today’s MadTech Daily we look at the Trump administration considering AI model safety reviews, Duncan Painter leaving Omnicom’s data and commerce role, and Image AI models outpacing chatbots in app growth

On today’s MadTech Daily, we cover OpenAI laying the groundwork for ChatGPT ads in the EU and sharing user data with advertisers, Blackstone, Hellman & Friedman, and Goldman Sachs backing a new enterprise AI venture, and Elon Musk settling an SEC lawsuit over his Twitter purchase, paying a USD$1.5m fine.

In this episode of The MadTech Podcast, ExchangeWire's head of marketing, Grainne Reid, is joined by CEO Rachel Smith and COO Lindsay Rowntree.Index Exchange has deployed the world's first containerised DSP on its new cloud infrastructure. The team discuss the technical side of Index Cloud and how it changes bid mechanics on the open web. The second story covers Meta's plans to extend its advertising offerings into CTV. Finally, they look into News UK's synthetic audience-planning tool, Times ExplorAItion, and the ways publishers are leveraging their first-party data to better target audiences.0:00 Introduction0:58 Bedrock Platform debuts first containerised DSP15:12 Meta looks to CTV to fuel advertising growth26:55 News UK launches tool with Times first-party data

On today’s MadTech Daily, we discuss Meta being found in breach of EU law over child safety and it opening its ads ecosystem to third-party AI. We also cover big tech surpassing $100bn in Q1 ad revenue as well as Uber expanding into hotels through an Expedia deal.

On today’s MadTech Daily, we look at Omnicom testing AI agents to cut out ad tech middlemen as it reports its Q1 results, Australia forcing big tech to pay for news or face a 2.25% tax, and retail media ad spend seeing 30.5% growth in Q4 2025. 

On today's MadTech Daily we discuss Pinterest launching CTV audiences following its tvScientific deal, Google signing a Pentagon agreement for ‘any lawful’ AI use, and Anthropic testing AI-to-AI commerce in an internal marketplace pilot.

On today’s MadTech Daily, we discuss Meta eyeing CTV to fuel ad growth, News UK building a synthetic audience tool to sharpen targeting and prove ROI, plus Musk and Altman heading to trial in a high-stakes battle over OpenAI’s future. 

In today’s MadTech Daily, we discuss ChatGPT beginning to show ads to logged-out users, and Norway planning an under-16 social media ban as Turkey passes an under-15 ban. We also look at Meta launching an Instagram spinoff app, ‘Instants’.

What was the minimum spend commitment from advertisers on ChatGPT ads? Which marketing spend category was the standout performer in Q1 of 2026? What is the percentage of active social media users in the UK in 2026?In this quiz edition of The MadTech Podcast, ExchangeWire's head of marketing, Grainne Reid, is joined by COO Lindsay Rowntree and head of content, John Still. They look into advertising on AI platforms, the latest IPA Bellwether Report, and the decline of social media use in the UK.---0:00 Introduction1:05 Price drops for ChatGPT ads9:51 IPA Bellwether Report: Q1 2026 marketing spend20:36 Active UK social media users decreasing

On today’s MadTech Daily we cover WBD shareholders approving the Paramount–Skydance merger, WPP restructuring its commerce capabilities, and PayPal targeting streaming TV ads.

On today’s MadTech Daily we discuss Bedrock Platform piloting Index Exchange’s new Index Cloud, the Consumer Federation of America suing Meta Platforms over alleged scam advertising practices, and Radiocentre urging MPs to reject advertising on BBC platforms. 

On today’s MadTech Daily we cover California filing a price-fixing legal claim against Amazon, Singapore proposing a global standard for generative AI testing, and Apple naming John Ternus as CEO successor to Tim Cook.

On today’s MadTech Daily we cover Meta planning to begin a new round of layoffs on 20th May, the White House and Anthropic holding “productive” AI talks, and ByteDance’s profit being hit by AI costs despite an overseas surge.

Today's MadTech Daily covers advertisers reporting prices dropping for ads on ChatGPT, Google holding discussions with the Pentagon for a Gemini deal, as well as the BBC and Bauer Media planning massive workforce cuts. 

Today’s MadTech Daily covers OpenAI building a tool to track ChatGPT ad conversions, UK MPs voting down under-16 social media ban for a second time, and Publicis’ CEO ruling out launching a rival for The Trade Desk. 

On today’s MadTech Daily we cover investor expectations for Netflix after its Warner bid, the IAB unveiling guidelines for AI-driven commerce media, and WPP reportedly launching talks to sell Burson, its PR arm

On today’s MadTech Daily we cover Meta set to overtake Google in ad revenue for the first time, Publicis marking its 20th consecutive growth quarter despite momentum slowing, and Freely launching FAST ‘Spotlight Channels’.

Today's MadTech Daily looks at the FTC moving toward a settlement in an ad boycott investigation, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ordering Meta to face a youth addiction lawsuit, and YouTube raising Premium prices.

On today’s MadTech Daily we cover OpenAI launching its Ads Manager and lowering the minimum spend for its ads pilot, Meta removing ads recruiting plaintiffs in social media addiction lawsuits amid rising legal pressure, and YouTube's 90-second unskippable ads amid a CTV push.

In this episode of The MadTech Podcast, ExchangeWire editor Aimee Newell Tarín is joined by CEO Rachel Smith and head of content, John Still. They look into OpenAI's foray into media ownership, an AI-publishing crossover, and the streaming market.The first story this week is OpenAI's acquisition of the tech and business talk show, Technology Business Programming Network. The team discuss what this says about OpenAI's strategy, and what it means for TBPN. The second covers CNN International Commercial’s move into agentic infrastructure, and the opportunities and pitfalls of agentic transactions. Finally, a court in Rome has ruled that Netflix's price increases between 2017-2024 were illegal. Will this case set a global precedent for the streaming giant?More industry insights & analysis at www.exchangewire.com0:00 Introduction1:00 OpenAI acquires TBPN14:46 CNNIC builds in-house agentic infrastructure28:19 Italian court rules Netflix price hikes illegal

Today’s MadTech Daily covers Tubi pioneering a ChatGPT-native app launch, Microsoft and Publicis deepening their partnership on agentic marketing, and Paramount debuting a publishing arm amid the exit of a president.

Today’s MadTech Daily covers a leadership shake-up at The Trade Desk as its CMO and other executives depart, BBC Studios rolling out an airline streaming platform, and Tesco Media pushing into video ads to blend storytelling with shoppable moments.

In this special episode of The MadTech Podcast, ExchangeWire CEO Rachel Smith is joined by Baptiste Graffin, VP of sales in APAC for Happydemics, to discuss brand building, brand lift, and performance. Their conversation looks at the importance of brand building beyond performance metrics, scaling and strategy in APAC markets, and data maturity in the region.Forrester report: Happydemics Brand lift delivered 47% ROI → https://get.happydemics.com/happydemics-total-economic-impact0:00 Introduction6:21 What are the key things needed to build and scale a business in APAC?16:23 How does Happydemics help brands and agencies prove advertising investment?34:29 Is APAC seeing an increase in data maturity?39:55 What is the future of the industry?

Today’s MadTech Daily covers Publicis acquiring 160/90 to expand its sports marketing capabilities and Ackman targeting €55bn takeover of Universal Music Group in bid to unlock value. We also look at Netflix launching a kids gaming app while an Italian court rules its price hikes illegal. 

On today's MadTech Daily we look at OpenAI's purchase of TBPN, CNN developing its own agentic infrastructure in preparation for AI-driven media transactions, and Elon Musk's alleged attempts to make banks associated with the SpaceX IPO subscribe to Grok. 

 On today’s MadTech Daily we cover UK social media use falling as video apps rise, ad spend in Australia dropping 3% year-to-date despite a 22.5% streaming boost from the Nine Olympics, and WPP Media launching ‘YouTube 5K’.

How can the ad tech industry create impact without precision targeting? What is the credibility of LLM visibility tools, and what are the barriers and accuracy of data? How likely is agent-to-agent buying in the future?In this mailbag episode of The MadTech Podcast, ExchangeWire editor Aimee Newell Tarín is joined by CEO Rachel Smith and COO Lindsay Rowntree to answer our listeners’ biggest questions about ad tech and media. They discuss the need to prove advertising value, the rise of generative engine optimisation, and how SSPs and DSPs are adapting for an AI agent-led environment.Thank you to Generation Media's Lauren Whyman, eight&four's Chloe Singleton, and Responsible Marketing Advisory's Emily Roberts for this month's questions! Got a burning question for the ExchangeWire team? Drop your questions over to us and we'll answer in our next monthly mailbag special... https://forms.zohopublic.com/lindsay11/form/MadTechPodcastYourQuestionsAnswered/formperma/xpD2uD_a2V5POYx47TrUnf3ZCERYN28c1w6aS5RsuEE0:00 Introduction1:00 How can the industry create impact without precise, laser focused targeting?2:26 Ciaran's chutney moment3:22 Back on schedule14:14 What is the credibility of tools that showcase LLM visibility information?33:02 How likely is agent to agent buying? What does the future of the ad tech industry look like?

Today’s MadTech Daily covers OpenAI raising USD$3bn from retail investors in a USD$122bn funding round, Anthropic set to sign a deal with Australia on AI safety and economic data tracking, as well as Elon Musk being ordered to face a class action lawsuit over the late disclosure of his Twitter stake.

Today’s MadTech Daily covers Australia’s eSafety Commission warning of ‘major gaps’ in the enforcement of the country’s under-16 social media ban, California defying Trump’s demands on AI with the introduction of a new executive order, and Disney+ striking its latest European deal with Italy’s Rai.

Today’s MadTech Daily covers Claude’s paid user growth surging, AdGreen’s findings on how changes to advertising production could slash emissions by nearly a third while generating huge financial savings, and WBD setting a date next month for shareholders to vote on a $111bn Paramount–Skydance takeover.

On today’s MadTech Daily we look at OpenAI extending its ad pilot as it tests a global rollout of sponsored ChatGPT responses, Elon Musk’s X ad boycott being dismissed by a US Judge, and Disney+ striking a landmark next-day streaming deal with RTVE.

In this episode of The MadTech Podcast, ExchangeWire COO Lindsay Rowntree is joined by CEO Rachel Smith and Zac Selby, SVP of global solutions for data & technology at dentsu.They look at IAB Australia’s 'Future of Measurement' initiative, Google securing a patent for AI-generated landing pages, and Apple introducing advertisements in Apple Maps.0:00 Introduction1:20 IAB Australia launches new initiative12:51 Google patents right to replace landing pages27:34 Apple to introduce ads in Maps

On today’s MadTech Daily, a jury finds Meta and YouTube liable for harming young users, a judge dismisses publishers’ Google monopoly claim, and the UK government is accused of shifting goalposts regarding the LHF ad ban.

Today’s MadTech Daily covers TikTok introducing three new ad formats, OpenAI dropping its partnership with Disney as it decides to close Sora, and Anthropic battling it out in court against the Pentagon over its AI model ban. 

Today’s MadTech Daily covers OpenAI hiring a Meta ad veteran to build its ads business, Apple planning to introduce ads in Maps, and X considering a new method to win back advertisers.

Today’s MadTech Daily covers ChatGPT’s slow rollout of ads frustrating partners, Musk being found liable in a $44bn fraud case related to Twitter, and broadcasters pushing for tougher smart TV rules across Europe.

Today’s MadTech Daily covers Meta announcing reduced reliance on third-party vendors as it expands its AI tools, Walmart securing two new patents for algorithmic pricing, and OpenAI planning a desktop superapp. 

On today’s MadTech Daily we discuss the UK government U-turning on their AI copyright plans, IAB Australia launching a measurement initiative, and Britannica suing OpenAI over AI training.

In this special episode of The MadTech Podcast, ExchangeWire COO Lindsay Rowntree is joined by Rob McLaughlin, founder & CEO of AUDIENCES, and Sandy Ghuman, senior product manager for customer data & transformation at easyJet.They look at the challenges of activating first party data, from complexities to cultural silos, and how brands can turn their data into meaningful signals.0:00 Introduction1:32 Challenges of data activation19:54 Data collection & channel selection30:57 Connecting different specialists40:34 The next 3 years

Today’s MadTech Daily covers Publicis advising clients to avoid The Trade Desk, Meta missing illegal financial ads in Britain, and Alibaba forming a new AI business group.

In today’s MadTech Daily we cover whistleblowers saying Meta and TikTok amplify harmful content in order to keep users’ attention, Amazon rolling out one-hour delivery in US cities, and the UK government launching a local media support initiative.

Today’s MadTech Daily covers OpenAI testing an Ads Manager and preparing its Agentic Storefronts feature, Meta being expelled from IAB Sweden while it plans major staff layoffs, and TikTok investors facing a huge bill from the Trump Administration. 

Today's MadTech Daily covers the latest surrounding ads on Gemini, an AI acquisition by Publicis, and the closing arguments in the first ever social media addiction jury trial.