The Big Story

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.  

Agents, streamers and robots, oh my! Live from the C-Space campus at the Aria Casino in Las Vegas, our team breaks down the most interesting ad tech trends we saw at CES this year.  

AI is fueling advertising, and AI agents are running ads. As we close out 2025, take a moment to listen to this AdExchanger Talks interview with Paul Longo, GM of AI in ads for advertising, for his POV on both of those topics.

First, CTV: The VAB has a bone with pick with Nielsen about its Big Data ratings, and Pinterest and TVScientific pair up. Then: Google Ad Manager is making changes in the EU, from getting rid of Unified Pricing Rules to integrating with Prebid and sharing more data with publishers.  

Netflix could acquire Warner Bros., unless Paramount swoops in or regulators intervene. How rearranging the streaming leaders could affect the CTV ad business.

Consumer spending on Black Friday Cyber Monday was up 7%. But prices are high, and the most affluent customers are doing the most spending in the US. Plus: the challenges faced by the ad buyers managing campaigns on Meta during Glitchmas.    

Inside Omnicom's shift in spend from The Trade Desk DSP to Amazon DSP.

We break down some of the most interesting financial trends coming out of Q3 earnings reports, and what rises to the level of being worth covering in the first place.

New APIs from Roku, Comcast and The Trade Desk are reshaping digital advertising, from self-serve campaign management to cross-platform measurement. But when it comes to identity and targeting, a new study finds that IP address matching is missing the mark.

With its wide adoption and independent membership, Prebid is powerful. We discuss Transaction IDs and the remedies phase of the antitrust trial with those inside and outside the org to better understand this open-source project.

Now that the Google Privacy Sandbox is officially gone, we take the time to reflect on the project's complicated legacy (and our favorite memories of the deceased).

Shortly after Trade Desk CEO Jeff Green said the DSP would splinter off from Prebid, he showed up at the Prebid Summit. Then, at ScreenShift, we learn what the TV industry thinks about AI.  

With its OpenAds wrapper, The Trade Desk is putting roots into ad tech's sell side. But publishers are wary.

Live from New York at Programmatic IO, the AdExchanger editorial team debriefs what ad tech's brightest minds are saying and doing around AI and measurement.

Will Google need to spin off its ad exchange and ad server? Court is in session in Virgina, with the DOJ and Google advocating for completely different remedies to Google's sell-side ad tech monopoly.

Advertising using AI-doctored images could spark legal issues if the images are misleading. Plus: the commerce reckoning.

From a $637 million PE acquisition of healthcare of a DSP to acquisitions of freshly minted startups, there's been a flurry of ad tech deals this month. And they have one thing in common: AI.

Google is running a search monopoly, but the remedies are light. How will this decision affect advertisers and competitors? Plus, Google Ad Manager is acting like a standalone SSP, a move that appears connected to the looming remedies phase of Google's second antitrust case.

Pause ads are going programmatic, as connected TV ad buying becomes more automated. Plus: how publishers are proposing to be compensated by AI companies – and the odds that they'll receive what they are asking for.

We've got the witness list for the remedy phase of the Google antitrust trial, which starts in September. Learn what changes Google could be forced to make to its ad server and exchange in order to make this corner of the ad tech market competitive again.

The Trade Desk has won the battle for supremacy on the open internet, says Needham & Company's Laura Martin. But it might just be losing the war for the future of the web to walled gardens and AI search.

OpenX filed a lawsuit against Google over its anticompetitive practices. And HyphaMetrics claimed victory against Nielsen in court over a patent lawsuit.

Change can be bumpy. From The Trade Desk's Solimar-to-Kokai transition to Nielsen's transition to its Big Data + Panel offering, we go inside customers' challenges with these two transforming platforms.

Ad agency hold cos have broadcasted their earnings. As AI and acquisitions transform their businesses, there are clear winners and losers. With media as a strong spot, we discuss the paradox of "transparent nontransparency."

Pixels attached to articles explaining a recent health diagnosis – without consent  – led Healthline to a record $1.55 million fine for violating CCPA. Plus: the new AI contract.

YouTube accounts are uploading recent Hollywood movies, racking up views while advertisers (and sometimes creators) remain in the dark. Plus: Could Cloudflare's AI bot blockers provide a salve for digital media's traffic declines?

The FTC approved the Omnicom-IPG merger, but with a brand-safety caveat: The agencies cannot create agency-level blocklists of any media that's political or ideological. With Ad Fontes CEO Vanessa Otero, we unpack the consent order's ramifications.

From Cannes Lions, our editorial team discusses the mix of perspectives on the ad industry's application of AI: the opportunity, the hesitation and the predictions of how it will disrupt marketing.

In the latest sign of massive change among ad agency hold cos, Mark Read is stepping down as leader of WPP. We unpack the impact of AI on agency hold cos and media, including WPP Media's prediction that 2025 will be the first year in which the majority of ad spend flows through user-generated content.

Meta updated its ad platform Wednesday with AI-based buying improvements. Is the company on track to be fully automated with AI by the end of next year?

Amazon is integrating into Prebid. What does this mean for publishers? Plus, are Amazon and Google diverging in their product focus?

Recorded live on the Programmatic IO stage in Las Vegas, the editorial team recaps the trends that dominated our conference: marketers adopting AI and finding truth through measurement.

GroupM is in the middle of "restructuring," as AI looms over the business model of agency holding companies. One-click campaign planning is coming for agency jobs. Now what?

Does a connected TV DSP need lower take rates? Inside the battle among DSP's to take on The Trade Desk's dominant market position. Plus: an on-the-ground report from the TV NewFronts.