The WIR: Reach Doubles Down on Video, PwC Predicts AI-Powered Ads Will Fuel Media Growth, and the FCC Clears Paramount's Skydance Merger

In this week’s Week in Review: Reach discusses its video ambitions, PwC hypes up AI-powered advertising’s potential, and the FCC clear’s Paramount’s Skydance merger.

The Week in Tech

Online Age Checks for Websites and Apps Come into Force in UK

Websites and apps that allow harmful content, including porn, self-harm, suicide and eating disorder content, must implement age checks to prevent access by children by the end of this week, Ofcom has warned. Bluesky, Discord, Grindr, Reddit and X have announced they will deploy age assurance, according to Ofcom, as the UK regulator launches a new age assurance enforcement programme. “Prioritising clicks and engagement over children’s online safety will no longer be tolerated in the UK,” said Dame Melanie Dawes, Chief Executive of Ofcom. “Our message to tech firms is clear – comply with age-checks and other protection measures set out in our Codes, or face the consequences of enforcement action from Ofcom.”

Blackstone Drops Out of TikTok Bid

Private equity firm Blackstone has withdrawn from a group that was planning to invest in TikTok’s US operations, Reuters reported on Saturday. Blackstone was initially seeking a minority stake in the ByteDance-owned company in a deal orchestrated by Donald Trump, as part of an investment consortium led by Susquehanna International Group and General

Atlantic. The short-form video business was seeking a buyer in order to continue operating in the US, but talks were put on hold when tensions flared between the US and China over Trump’s steep tariffs on Chinese goods.

Mantis Makes Contextual Segments Available in PubMatic’s SSP

Mantis, the ad tech firm owned by UK publisher Reach, has partnered with sell-side ad tech business PubMatic, allowing Mantis’ curated contextual segments to be activated directly within PubMatic’s Connect platform. Mantis said this marks the first time it has integrated with a supply-side platform (SSP), helping ease buyers’ reliance on outdated brand safety methods by integrating Mantis’ AI-powered contextual signals directly into the SSP. “We’re thrilled to partner with Mantis to bring their powerful contextual and brand safety capabilities to buyers through PubMatic’s Connect solution,” said Kofi Amoako, Regional VP, Audience Solutions, EMEA at PubMatic. “With the growing need for smarter, privacy-focused targeting, this partnership delivers meaningful benefits to publishers whilst enabling buyers to seamlessly activate real-time, data-driven targeting.”

Viant Delivers Content-Level Targeting on LG Smart TV Inventory

CTV ad tech firm Viant has partnered with LG Ad Solutions, to make LG’s smart TV inventory available through Viant’s demand-side platform (DSP). The partners said advertisers gain content-level contextual targeting on LG ads by accessing standardised classification via IRIS_ID, enabled by Viant’s acquisition of IRIS.TV last year. “Identity is the backbone of effective advertising in a fragmented ecosystem,” said Kelly McMahon, SVP Global Operations at LG Ad Solutions. “By integrating the Viant Household ID into our platform, we’re empowering buyers to scale Viant-driven audiences across the LG Smart TV environment—unlocking greater precision, reach, and performance while keeping privacy at the core.”

AI and Shorts Drive Ad Revenues at YouTube

YouTube’s ad revenue jumped 13 percent YoY during Q2 2025, reaching $9.8 billion, while parent company Alphabet posted 14 percent total revenue growth to hit $96.43 billion. YouTube Shorts also reached 200 million daily views, according to the company, and the short-form product has reached parity on revenue per watch-hour relative to core YouTube in multiple countries, including the US. Google CEO Sundar Pichai added that AI is boosting monetisation across the video service. “AI is helping improve our recommendations and auto-dubbing, which translates to better returns for creators and brands by dramatically increasing the potential audiences they can reach,” he told investors.

Magnite Brings SpringServe Video Platform to Dentsu in EMEA

Sell-side platform (SSP) Magnite has partnered with agency group Dentsu in EMEA, using Magnite’s SpringServe video platform to connect the agency to video and CTV inventory. The companies said the partnership streamlines video activation across EMEA, enabling Dentsu to curate premium media experiences with greater precision, transparency and scale. “Our relationship with Dentsu is a great example of how technology and collaboration can unlock real value,” said Julie Selman, SVP, Head of EMEA at Magnite. “We’re proud to support Dentsu’s vision for the future by providing the tools and insights needed to deliver stronger results and a more efficient media experience for clients and publishers alike.”

The Week in TV

Ofcom Plans to “Strip Away Outdated Restrictions” in Fight for PSB Prominence

Ofcom, the UK’s communications regulator, this week called for “urgent action” to protect public service media (PSM), as public service broadcasters (PSB) fight against global tech giants for audience attention. Ofcom’s response includes recommendations to the UK Government to ensure PSBs are fairly compensated, calls to broadcasters to evolve their content and distribution strategies, and proposals to reform media regulation that was “designed for a linear world.” Among Ofcom’s recommendations was the suggestion that YouTube should be made to ensure PSB content is prominent for UK audiences on its platform. Read more on VideoWeek.

“We’re Not Dogmatic” on Studios Integration Says ITV’s Carolyn McCall

ITV’s total total ad revenues were down 7 percent YoY in the first half of 2025, according to the company’s H1 earnings this week, but the business noted the tough comparison to the Men’s Euros last year. Compared to H1 2023, revenues were up 2 percent, and the broadcaster’s results overall were ahead of market expectations. Digital revenues continued to grow, with ITVX helping to drive digital ad revenues up 12 percent YoY. Total group external revenues were down one percent year-on-year. CEO Carolyn McCall said the UK ad market is “not an easy environment”, and the broadcaster is looking at further ways to diversify its revenues as advertisers brace for uncertain economic conditions ahead. Read more on VideoWeek.

Walmart to Sell Vizio TVs Exclusively

US retail giant Walmart plans to make TV manufacturer Vizio a private-label brand by the end of the year, according to Bloomberg, and will exclusively sell Vizio smart TVs. The news follows Walmart’s $2.3 billion acquisition of Vizio last year, in a move designed to boost the retailer’s ads business. The report also suggested Walmart is working on developing shoppable TV experiences, further integrating its retail, TV and advertising businesses.

Canal+ Acquisition of Multichoice Gets Antitrust Approval in South Africa

South Africa’s Competition Tribunal has approved Canal+’s acquisition of pay-TV business MultiChoice. The transaction values MultiChoice at around $3 billion, and will see the French broadcaster purchase the remaining stock from shareholders. The acquisition will create the largest pay-TV and streaming business in Africa, according to Bloomberg.]

India’s Zee Entertainment Hit by Ongoing Advertising Losses

Zee Entertainment’s revenues declined by 14 percent YoY in the latest quarter, the Indian broadcaster said on Tuesday. The loss was driven by a 16.8 percent drop in ad revenues, which account for nearly 40 percent of the total business, marking its eleventh decline in the past twelve quarters. Zee’s share price fell 5.7 percent following the results.

Fox Closes Upfronts with Growth Across Sports and Tubi

Fox has closed its 2025-26 upfront cycle with double-digit volume growth across its portfolio compared with the previous year, according to Adweek. The US broadcaster also exceeded $2 billion in sales for its sports properties (excluding the World Cup) for the first time, while ad-supported streaming service Tubi saw 35 percent YoY volume growth. “The Fox portfolio of industry-leading sports, news, and entertainment content delivered double-digit revenue growth in the upfront for the second year in a row,” said Jeff Collins, President of Advertising Sales, Marketing, and Brand Partnerships at Fox. “Unprecedented audience growth across the Fox portfolio has driven better outcomes for our trusted client partners. We thank them for their continued commitment and remain dedicated to making every second of their investment with us count.”

HBO Max Launches in 12 New Markets

HBO Max, the Warner Bros. Discovery-owned streaming service formerly known as Max (but originally known as HBO Max), expanded into 12 new markets this week: Albania, Armenia, Cyprus, Estonia, Georgia, Iceland, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, and Tajikistan. The streaming service is now available in 90 markets, and is due to launch in the UK next year. “With the addition of these 12 new countries, we are rapidly approaching availability in 100 markets worldwide, with major launches still to come early next year in Germany, Italy, and the UK,” said JB Perrette, CEO and President of Global Streaming & Games at WBD.

NBCU Considers New Cable Sports Channel

NBCUniversal is considering launching a sports-focused cable channel, four years after the US broadcaster shuttered the NBC Sports Network. While cord-cutting is on the rise in the US, reports note that the spread of sports across multiple paid streaming services – whose subscription fees are increasing – is causing frustration for sports fans. The proposed channel would carry content available on Peacock, including NBA games, allowing those without streaming subscriptions to access the content.

Tony’s Chocolonely and GoodGym Among Winners of Sky Zero Footprint Fund

Sky Media has announced the winners of its 2025 Sky Zero Footprint Fund, awarding a total £2 million in media value to brands that have demonstrated commitment to sustainability. The winners are Tony’s Chocolonely, GoodGym, WRAP, Fussy, GUPPYFRIEND and PÄRLA. “The Sky Zero Footprint Fund is an initiative we’re really proud of at Sky, mobilising brands to drive behaviour change and help consumers make more sustainable choices,” said Fiona Ball, Group Director of Bigger Picture and Sustainability at Sky. “Advertising plays such an important role in inspiring changes to daily habits that will help us all on the journey to a low carbon world. We had an incredible calibre of inspiring brands enter this year across the three categories, and I can’t wait to see the final ads these six winners will produce.”

WBD Extends VideoAmp Partnership for Upfront Deals

Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) has extended its agreement with VideoAmp, continuing to use the currency provider’s data and measurement solutions for the 2025 Upfront season and beyond. The announcement follows other multi-year deals VideoAmp has secured with US broadcasters, including AMC, A&E, FOX, NBCUniversal, Paramount and TelevisaUnivision. “VideoAmp has been at the forefront of helping the industry evolve beyond legacy measurement models,” said VideoAmp CRO Bryan Goski. “Our continued collaboration with Warner Bros. Discovery reinforces the momentum toward a more modern, more accurate, and advertiser-aligned approach to currency and measurement and signals the arrival of a multi-currency ecosystem where stakeholders have choices.”

The Week for Publishers

Pew Research Demonstrates Sharp Impact of AI Overviews on Publisher Search Traffic

New research released by Pew Research Center this week gave a broad overview of how AI overviews are impacting click-through rates. A study run over one month earlier this year found that users were roughly half as likely to click on a search link whenever Google generated an AI summary, compared with searches where there was no AI summary present.

Pew Research Center’s study, which monitored search activity from 900 US adults in March, found that 15 percent of Google searches ended in the user clicking on a search result in cases where there was no AI overview. When there was an AI overview, this figure dropped to 8 percent. And while Google’s AI overviews come with their own set of links, leading to sources which helped inform the overview, click rates on these were very low. Users clicked on a link in the AI summary on just one percent of searches where an AI summary was generated. Read more on VideoWeek.

Axel Springer CEO Says AI Is No Longer Optional

Matthias Döpfner, CEO and chairman of European news giant Axel Springer, told staff in a global town hall meeting that use of AI is no longer optional for staff at the company, according to a report from Status. “Nobody in the company has to explain in the company why she or he is using AI to do something, whether to prepare a presentation or analyse a document,” he said, according to Status. “You only have to explain if you didn’t use AI. That’s really something you have to explain because that shouldn’t happen.”

Trump Files $10 Billion Lawsuit Over Wall Street Journal Reporting

US president Donald Trump has filed a $10 billion lawsuit against media mogul Rupert Murdoch and other defendants, following reporting from the Wall Street Journal, owned by Murdoch’s News Corp, which claimed that Trump had written a letter to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Trump’s team lobbied the WSJ and Murdoch in an attempt to prevent the report from being released, according to the Financial Times. Following the story’s publication, Trump said via his Truth Social platform: “I told Rupert Murdoch it was a Scam, that he shouldn’t print this Fake Story. But he did, and now I’m going to sue his ass off, and that of his third rate newspaper”.

LA Times Owner Plans to Take Newspaper Public

Patrick Soon-Shiong, the billionaire owner of the Los Angeles Times, said in an interview with Jon Stewart this week that he plans to take the newspaper public. Soon-Shiong’s Nant Capital bought the paper in a $500 million deal back in 2018. His ownership of the company has come in for criticism over the past year due to controversial decisions on his part, including blocking the newspaper from running a presidential endorsement, and introducing a ‘bias meter’ rating at the end of the paper’s own articles.

Telegraph Sale Set to Go Through Following Lords Vote

Foreign state-owned investment groups will be allowed to own up to a 15 percent passive stake in UK newspapers, following a vote in the House of Lords. The news means that the Telegraph’s sale to an investment consortium which includes Abu Dhabi-owned International Media Investments (IMI) will now be allowed to progress. The laws on foreign state ownership were initially introduced after a previous bid for The Telegraph from IMI alongside investment group RedBird, which would have seen IMI hold a much larger stake, sparking concerns around foreign state-interference in domestic media.

Google Seeks AI Licensing Deals with News Publishers

Google has opened talks with a number of news publishers around AI-related content licensing, Bloomberg reported this week. While the nature of the talks and the products and terms involved weren’t disclosed by the sources Bloomberg spoke with, they claimed that Google is seeking to launch a pilot project with around 20 national news groups in the US.

The Week for Brands & Agencies

IPG’s Organic Revenues Fall, but Share Price Rises

US holding company Interpublic Group announced its Q2 financial results on Tuesday, reporting that net organic revenues were down 3.5 percent year-on-year. The group primarily attributed this fall to client activity in 2024. Despite the fall, IPG’s share price has risen by over 10 percent since the results were released, as investors seemed to welcome the fact that IPG didn’t report a further deterioration of the ad market or lower its full year forecast (as fellow holding group WPP did a few weeks back).

Omnicom Announces Formation of Omnicom Oceania

US-based agency holdco Omnicom this week announced the formation of Omnicom Oceania, which will bring Omnicom’s practices across Australia and New Zealand under a unified leadership structure. Omnicom Oceania will be led by Nick Garrett, who joins from Deloitte Digital (but has previously worked for Omnicom) as CEO. “Increasingly, clients in this market are looking for deep specialism and seamless integration,” said Omnicom chairman and CEO John Wren. “Recent Forrester wave reports have proven that Omnicom is the unrivalled leader across key marketing specialisations. We have successfully deployed these specialisations with many leading clients in the market, and this organisational shift accelerates our ability to deliver this model to more clients across the region.”

IPG Launches Agentic Systems for Commerce

Alongside its Q2 earnings (see above), Interpublic Group this week unveiled ‘Agentic Systems for Commerce’ (ASC), a new offering which the group says is designed to help brands manage “the scaled and complex commerce ecosystem in ways that are not possible without automation and artificial intelligence”. ASC uses data signals (drawn from Intelligence Node, which IPG acquired last year) for clients’ own products as well as their competitors, including at the SKU and store level, to generate actionable insights. This in turn helps brands optimise sales and margin performance across digital commerce channels, according to IPG.

Cooperation Key to Indie Agency Success, finds SBS Report

Independent agencies in the UK are finding a lot of success from smart collaborations and partnerships with other indie agencies, according to a new report from programmatic curation platform SBS. Ninety percent of UK indies say they are already collaborating with other agencies, according to SBS’s data. Fifty-two percent of agencies report they’ve gained new business thanks to new partnerships, while 51 percent have expanded their service capabilities, and 24 percent have gained access to new markets and global reach. But barriers also exist: 60 percent say coordination across different agency structures is a major challenge, while 39 percent report that legacy contracts with holding groups are blockers to new partnerships.

Publicis Acquires Sports and Experiential Specialist Bespoke

French agency group Publicis announced this week it has acquired American sports and experiential marketing agency Bespoke for an undisclosed fee. Bespoke will be folded into Publicis’s specialist sports marketing agency Publicis Sports. Bespoke, which was founded in 2014 in North Carolina, will still be led by co-founders Mike Boykin and Greg Busch.

Brainlabs Acquires Exverus Media

US independent agency Brainlabs this week announced it has bought Exverus Media, an LA-based full-funnel media agency. Brainlabs says the acquisition significantly enhances its own full-funnel media capabilities, thanks in particular to its experience with traditional media channels as well as digital media. It also brings Brainlabs to the West Coast for the first time, completing its “coast-to-coast footprint”.

Havas Acquires Spanish Performance Agency Tidart

French agency group Havas has acquired Spanish performance agency Tidart, it announced this week, a move which it says strengthens its global performance and e-commerce capabilities. Tidart will be integrated into Havas Media Network’s global e-commerce proposition, but will maintain its brand and operational structure. Tidart’s services include strategy, media planning and buying, and Havas says it uses “proprietary, cutting-edge technology to optimize advertising investments across every stage of the conversion funnel”.

Hires of the Week

Elizabeth Anyaegbuna to Lead Indie Ad Sales House Frame

Independent UK broadcaster Narrative Entertainment has appointed Elizabeth Anyaegbuna as MD, Director of Advertising at Frame, a new indie ad sales house. Anyaegbuna joins from 16x9media, the specialist independent media agency she co-founded in 2019. She has also served as President of women’s network Bloom UK, and co-founded the inclusivity group Bloom in Colour.

BBC Studios Announces Amanda Jones as CFO

BBC Studios has named Amanda Jones as Chief Financial Officer (CFO). Jones joined as interim CFO in 2024, following stints at ITV and Kantar. She will also join the BBC Studios Executive Committee and will become a member of the BBC’s Commercial Board.

Channel Factory Appoints Permutive’s James Cameron

Channel Factory, a brand suitability and contextual advertising company, has announced James Cameron as Global Brand Partnership Director. Cameron joins from ad tech firm Permutive, where he served as Sales Director. The new role will see him oversee strategic initiatives with global brands to drive media investments across YouTube and social media platforms.