Week in Review: Germany’s Measurement JIC Embraces Big Data, Netflix Pushes Further Into Podcasts, and Audience Acceptance for Streaming Ads...
Germany’s TV‑measurement joint industry committee (JIC) is expanding its trial to embed HbbTV data, supplementing traditional panel metrics and reducing zero‑rating errors. Netflix will launch a live‑video version of the popular "The Breakfast Club" podcast on June 1, pairing the stream with iHeartMedia radio and swapping ad breaks for bonus content. A German ARD review shows audience tolerance for streaming ads is rising, especially for countdown‑timer overlays and non‑intrusive formats. Together, these moves signal a shift toward richer data sources and more flexible ad experiences across linear and streaming ecosystems.
Week in Review: New BBC Boss Plans to Cut Channels, Ofcom Calls Out YouTube and TikTok Over Harms to Children,...
BBC director‑general Matt Brittin announced a £500 million (≈$630 million) cost‑saving plan that includes closing TV channels, cutting 2,000 jobs and a 10% expense reduction over three years, while pushing licence‑fee reforms. Ofcom criticised TikTok and YouTube for failing to curb harmful...
Channel 4’s Digital Ad Transformation Is Ahead of Schedule
Channel 4’s 2025 annual report shows the broadcaster ahead of its Future4 digital‑ad targets, with digital advertising generating roughly $440 million – 34% of total revenue – up from 30% in 2024. Non‑advertising revenue hit the 10% goal, while streaming views rose...
Video Podcasts Are Converging with TV, Finds Ofcom
Ofcom’s latest “Audio listening in the UK” report shows video podcasts are gaining traction, with 68 % of weekly listeners having watched a video‑enabled episode. While overall podcast consumption rose to 33 % of adults, only 27 % say they prefer video when...
What TV Broadcasters Can Learn From The Sidemen
Broadcasters are re‑thinking YouTube as a core engagement platform, emulating creator tactics to nurture fandoms around IP such as the BBC’s Bluey. Analyst Ben Woods points to the Sidemen collective, whose multi‑channel strategy—short‑form reacts, lifestyle content, and long‑form weekly videos—creates...
Threats to Domestic Broadcasters Are Threats to Our “Cultural Identity” – Buy-Side View with Medialab’s Jon Manning
Jon Manning, Director of Advanced TV at Medialab, warns that the rise of Big‑Tech video services threatens the cultural identity shaped by domestic broadcasters. He highlights the industry’s struggle with fragmented definitions of CTV and the need for a common...
Week in Review: Sky Closes In On ITV Deal, Byron Allen Buys BuzzFeed, and Ofcom Releases Draft Code for SVOD...
Sky is weeks from finalising a £1.6 bn (≈$2 bn) takeover of ITV's broadcast arm, separating its linear channels and ITVX from the production‑focused ITV Studios. The deal, negotiated by Comcast’s US lawyers, ties part of the price to ITV’s ad‑revenue outlook...
IAB UK Urges UK Government to Recognise Benefits of Digital Advertising Sector’s “Mainstream Deployment” Of AI
IAB UK, the digital‑advertising trade body, released a white paper showing that 95% of firms in the sector now use artificial intelligence, marking near‑universal, mainstream deployment. The research estimates the UK’s £40 billion ($51 billion) digital‑ad market could unlock an additional £12 billion...
Netflix Announces New Ad Tier Markets, Podcast and Vertical Video Inventory, and a Dog Show
Netflix announced that its ad‑supported tier will expand to 15 new markets in 2027, adding Austria, Belgium, Colombia, Denmark, Indonesia, Ireland, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Peru, the Philippines, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland and Thailand. The company also said ad inventory for...
RTL and ProSieben Focus on Profitability as TV Ad Revenues Fall
RTL Group posted a 2.5% organic revenue rise and its streaming division recorded its first profitable quarter, targeting $27‑$55 million operating profit for the year. ProSiebenSat.1 saw a 3% revenue decline but boosted Q1 EBITDA by $55 million through cost cuts. Both...
Data Strategies Are Evolving From Single Video Campaigns to Building “Lifetime of a Brand”
Dailymotion is shifting its advertising model from isolated video campaigns to a continuous, brand‑wide strategy. By aggregating data from Connected TV, online video and social platforms, the company can extract insights from each run and apply them to future efforts....
Rakuten TV Hopes Other Streaming Companies Follow in Joining Barb
Rakuten TV announced it will be measured by Barb, the UK broadcaster‑owned TV measurement Joint Industry Committee, positioning itself as one of the first hybrid streaming platforms to adopt the standard. Senior Director Chris Edwards explained the move aims to...
Rakuten TV Signs Up to Barb Measurement
Rakuten TV Enterprise has signed up for measurement by Barb, the UK broadcaster‑owned joint industry committee. The move brings its ad‑supported video on demand and FAST channels under the same independent methodology used by public service broadcasters and major streaming...
“The Biggest Psychology Experiment Ever Conducted by Humans” – How Big Tech Got Us Addicted to Social Media
A California jury in March held Meta and Google liable for deliberately engineering addictive features on Instagram and YouTube, marking the first major verdict in a wave of roughly 2,000 lawsuits alleging harm to users, especially minors. The ruling underscores...
Week in Review: CTV and AI Dominate Ad Tech Earnings, Major Distributors Back Microdramas, and Kraft Heinz Ramps Up Ad...
Ad‑tech leaders The Trade Desk, PubMatic and Magnite all highlighted CTV and AI in their Q1 earnings, with mixed market reactions. The Trade Desk’s shares dropped 15% despite 12% revenue growth, while PubMatic and Magnite posted modest revenue gains driven...