In this week’s Week in Review: Dentsu is reported to be considering selling its overseas business, Reach ups its video output, and Netflix buys baseball rights in Japan.
Top Stories
Dentsu Considers Selling International Business
Japanese advertising holding company Dentsu is considering strategic options for its struggling international business, including a potential sale, according to the Financial Times. Sources with knowledge of the deal say Dentsu is already sounding out potential buyers, including rival holding groups and private equity firms. Dentsu is also said to be considering less drastic measures including selling a minority stake in the international business.
Dentsu’s overseas operations have largely been built on the back of its surprise £3.2 billion acquisition of UK-based media agency Aegis back in 2012. Aided by further acquisitions, Dentsu International (the unit housing all of Dentsu’s business outside of Japan) has grown to reach net revenues of over $4.5 billion last year.
But the unit has faced negative organic revenue growth recently, in contrast to Dentsu’s continued strong performance in its home market. In the first half of this year, net revenue organic growth in Japan reached 5.3 percent, compared to negative rates of 3.4 percent in the Americas and 2.4 percent in EMEA.
Reach Puts Video Growth Plans Into Action
Piers North, the new CEO at UK news publishing group Reach, spoke about the company’s video ambitions, stating that increasing video output would be central to Reach’s growth ambitions. This week has presented a few examples of that strategy in action.
The company has announced the launch of ‘All Out Football’, a new standalone football-focused video brand on YouTube and other social platforms. All Out Football will run a weekly flagship show, release original documentaries on a monthly basis, and will also create content alongside independent football-related creators. Reach has secured Sky Bet as the exclusive commercial sponsor for the channel at launch.
Reports also emerged this week that Reach is planning a business-wide restructure, which will see more content pooled centrally and shared across Reach’s national and local news brands. The restructure is designed to avoid multiple Reach reporters from different publications doubling up on the same stories, in cases where reporting could be shared across multiple publications. Alongside this restructure, staff have been told to produce more video content and less text-only content, according to Press Gazette.
Netflix Continues Sports Push with World Baseball Classic
Netflix has struck an exclusive media rights deal with international baseball organisation World Baseball Classic to stream the 2026 World Baseball Classic for subscribers in Japan. The agreement marks the streaming giant’s latest move into live sports, following its partnerships with WWE and the NFL. Financial terms were not disclosed.
“We are committed to ensuring all fans – whether lifelong supporters or new to the game – can experience the tournament in a way that fits their lives today,” said Kaata Sakamoto, Vice President of Content, Netflix in Japan. “With Netflix already in millions of Japanese homes, we are excited to deliver a new kind of viewing experience that brings fans even closer to the action, the players, and the heart of the tournament, wherever they are. We look forward to working with leading Japanese partners to make the World Baseball Classic a true nationwide celebration, and to deliver innovative live entertainment for our members.”
The Week in Tech
Trump Threatens Tariffs for Countries with Digital Taxes and Regulation
US President Donald Trump has threatened to impose fresh tariffs and export restrictions on semiconductors, in retaliation against countries whose digital services taxes or laws “discriminate against American technology.” The threats are aimed at the EU over its tech regulation, namely the Digital Markets Act and the Digital Services Act, and member states such as France, Italy and Spain that have digital services taxes in place. Despite the threats, the EU said it would keep moving forward with its new digital rules.
ByteDance Sets $330 Billion Valuation
TikTok owner ByteDance is set to launch a new employee share buyback that will value the Chinese firm at over $330 billion, Reuters reported on Thursday, citing sources familiar with the matter. The insiders revealed that ByteDance’s revenue hit $48 billion in Q2, up from $43 billion in the previous quarter, topping Meta’s $42.3 billion in Q1. The bulk of ByteDance’s revenues come from China, with TikTok’s US operations reportedly remaining unprofitable, as the company faces ongoing political pressure to divest its US business.
Magnite Rolls Out Pause Ads on Streaming Services
Magnite, a supply-side platform (SSP), has introduced Pause Ads across a range of streaming providers, including DIRECTV, DISH Media and Fubo. The format is already in use by buyers and demand-side platforms (DSP) such as KERV.ai, MNTN and Yahoo DSP, according to the SSP. “Pause Ads create a new class of high-value ad inventory without disrupting the viewer experience,” said Mike Laband, Group SVP, US Revenue at Magnite. “As buyers seek more effective ways to engage streaming audiences, we expect growing demand for ad innovations such as Pause Ads to unlock meaningful revenue for media owners as the CTV ecosystem matures.”
Meta Licenses Midjourney’s GenAI Tech for Image and Video Creation
Meta has announced a partnership with Midjourney to license the startup’s AI image and video generation technology. The collaboration seeks to improve the tech giant’s GenAI tools, offering potential advantages for advertisers and marketers using Meta’s AI models. “To ensure Meta is able to deliver the best possible products for people it will require taking an all-of-the-above approach,” said Alexandr Wang, Chief AI Officer at Meta. “This means world-class talent, ambitious compute roadmap, and working with the best players across the industry.”
TikTok to Lay Off Hundreds of Content Moderators in UK
TikTok is preparing to lay off hundreds of content moderators in the UK, the short-form video business has confirmed. The move sees TikTok increasingly rely on AI tools for trust and safety measures, according to the ByteDance-owned company, which has already automated more than 85 percent of content moderation. The cuts follow the recent introduction of stricter online safety rules in the UK, and a recent report from the Molly Rose Foundation which found that protections for young people on the platform against self-harm content had actively deteriorated.
PrimeAudience Launches Marketplace on Index Exchange’s SSP
PrimeAudience, an ad tech business that provides custom audiences, has partnered with Index Exchange, a supply-side platform (SSP), to launch a marketplace on the SSP. The collaboration brings PrimeAudience’s behavioural targeting capabilities to Index Marketplaces, according to the partners, providing enhanced targeting precision, expanded scale and greater transparency. “We are proud to support partners such as PrimeAudience in delivering high-performing, privacy-conscious campaigns, while expanding the addressability and value of premium supply for buyers,” said Jared Lansky, SVP, Platform Partnerships at Index Exchange. “As PrimeAudience looks to extend access to its proprietary audiences, Index Marketplaces offers the ideal foundation to curate and activate these audiences at scale.”
The Week in TV
MFE Set to Take Control of ProSieben as it Buys PPF’s Stake
Italian media giant MFE-MediaForEurope is set to take control of German broadcaster ProSiebenSat.1 as Czech investment firm PPF, a rival suitor for ProSieben, has thrown in the towel and agreed to sell its stake in the company to MFE. The deal means MFE holds nearly 60 percent of ProSieben’s stock, making it the majority shareholder and ensuring it has enough power to win any votes which require a simple majority. Read more on VideoWeek.
Disney Continues European Content Push with ZDF Deal
International media giant Disney has announced a new deal with German public-service broadcaster ZDF’s studios division, which will see a curated collection of ZDF’s films and TV series hosted in a dedicated section on Disney+ in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. The partnership, which went live on Wednesday, will include over 3,000 TV episodes and films by the end of the year, bringing thousands of hours of German-produced content to the Disney+ platform. ZDF Studios has previously licensed several series to Disney+. But this new deal will bring a much larger set of ZDF’s content to the platform, presented under ZDF branding with a ‘ZDF Films and Series’ banner. Read more on VideoWeek.
Amazon Sees “Significant Growth” in Upfront Commitments
Amazon has closed its second Upfronts with “significant growth” in commitments across all major holding companies, alongside strong commitments from independent agencies, according to Adweek. The Amazon spokesperson said brands were particularly “excited” by Prime Video’s live sports offering, having secured NBA rights last year. “Amazon DSP offers customers a seamless single point of access to the best inventory, providing a holistic programmatic buying and measurement solution across both Amazon-owned properties and premium publishers,” the spokesperson said in a statement. “We will continue to serve as strategic partners to brands, working hard every day to innovate and invent on behalf of our advertising customers.”
Trump Pushes to Revoke ABC and NBC Station Licences Over “Bad Stories” About Him
US President Donald Trump is pushing the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to revoke ABC and NBC’s station licences, due to the channels airing “bad stories” about him. Trump said the Disney- and Comcast-owned US broadcasters should be charged for using public airwaves. “Despite a very high popularity and, according to many, among the greatest 8 months in Presidential History, ABC & NBC FAKE NEWS, two of the worst and most biased networks in history, give me 97% BAD STORIES,” Trump posted on his Truth Social platform. “IF THAT IS THE CASE, THEY ARE SIMPLY AN ARM OF THE DEMOCRAT PARTY AND SHOULD, ACCORDING TO MANY, HAVE THEIR LICENSES REVOKED BY THE FCC. I would be totally in favor of that because they are so biased and untruthful, an actual threat to our Democracy!!!”
Fox Avoids Blackout on YouTube TV with Short-Term Extension in Carriage Negotiations
Google and Fox reached a “short-term extension” to their carriage agreement on Wednesday, partially resolving a standoff that saw YouTube TV threaten to drop Fox Broadcast Network, Fox News and Fox Sports from its channel lineup, days before the broadcast of highly anticipated college football games in the US. Earlier in the week the companies were locked in a dispute over carriage fees, with Fox asking for higher compensation to carry its channels, and Google arguing that the requested sum exceeded industry norms. Details of the agreement and length of the extension were not specified.
The Week for Publishers
The Independent Expects Video and Podcasts to Become Primary Revenue Source
The Independent expects revenues from video content and podcasts created within its new studio division to become the publisher’s largest source of revenue, according to an interview with Press Gazette this week. Studio content is monetised through brand partnerships, advertising, licensing, membership, events and merchandise, according to Independent Studio’s head of content Al Brown. The studio creates all of the Independent’s non-news video content, much of which is distributed on social media.
Perplexity Launches Revenue Share Programme with Publishers
AI search engine Perplexity will begin sharing revenues with publishers whose content is used to inform its AI-generated search results, the company has announced. Perplexity has set aside an initial $42.5 million fund which will be allocated to publishers who are signed up to the revenue share programme. Funds will come from a new subscription within Perplexity’s Comet browser, which will give paying members access to a curated news feed containing content from partnered publishers.
LinkedIn Expands its Video Offering
LinkedIn is expanding its video advertising business, adding new creators to its BrandLink programme and signing up major partners for its shows. BrandLink connects up partnered content creators on LinkedIn with brands, and now has more than 70 publishers and creators involved, according to Reuters. The company has announced AT&T Business, IBM, SAP, and ServiceNow as sponsors for four shows created through BrandLink.
Nikkei and Asahi Shimbun Sue Perplexity
Japanese publishers Asahi Shimbun and Nikkei, which owns the Financial Times, are suing Perplexity alleging copyright infringement, the FT reported this week. In a joint filing, the two news groups claim that Perplexity has copied and stored protected content without their consent, and has ignored technical measures designed to prevent AI companies from scraping their content. The companies are seeking ¥2.2 billion (around $15 million according to the FT) in damages.
French Prosecutors Investigate Kick Over Streamer’s Death
French prosecutors are investigating live streaming platform Kick following the on-air death of one of the platform’s users, Frenchman Raphaël Graven. Graven’s live broadcasts involved him appearing to suffer physical violence and humiliation at the hands of two companions, and he died in his sleep during a 12-day marathon broadcast. Prosecutors are investigating whether Kick illegally enabled the broadcast of deliberate attacks, and whether it complied with requirements in European digital regulation to report risk of harm to life or personal safety of users.
The Week for Brands & Agencies
UK Agencies Warn of Omnicom’s Post-Merger “Buying Powerhouse”
Earlier this month, Omnicom’s acquisition of rival advertising group Interpublic Group (IPG) received regulatory approval from the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA). On Tuesday the watchdog published its full decision, revealing the concerns raised by the companies’ competitors over the impact of the merger between the holding companies. Chief among them was the ability of the merged entity to procure media at scale at lower cost, which smaller competitors warned could pressurise them to match the competitive rates the company will be able to offer advertisers. Read more on VideoWeek.
Incoming WPP CEO Cindy Rose Warns of Hard Work Ahead
Cindy Rose, the incoming CEO of UK-based holding group WPP, this week made her first address to the whole company since being awarded the job earlier in the summer, releasing an introductory video which circulated around the company (and was obtained by Adweek). In the clip, Rose warns that there’s “hard work ahead” and warns that “it won’t be easy” to continue the transformation of WPP, but said she’s confident in the group’s staff, creative work, and agency brands.
IPG’s Acxiom Partners with Magnite on Addressable CTV
Sell-side ad tech company Magnite and Acxiom, Interpublic Group’s data unit, have announced a partnership which the two say will allow advertisers to layer their first-party data, and Acxiom’s third-party data, directly on to Magnite buys. The two say the deal will help brands maximise working media in streaming, where Magnite has comprehensive coverage across the sell-side in the US. “Bringing together Acxiom’s vast and trusted data services with Magnite’s access to unique streaming inventory presents advertisers with a turn-key activation point,” said Martin Wexler, EVP of partnerships at Acxiom. “Magnite’s proximity to inventory helps drive improved match rates and reduces signal loss, enabling advertisers to activate with precision and augment performance across streaming and omnichannel media.”
Marketing and Advertising Internships Drop in the US
The number of intern positions available at US marketing and advertising companies has dropped each year since 2022, according to figures from employment data business Live Data Technologies shared with Adweek. As agencies cut costs and trim staff counts, it appears that internships are being cut too. Adweek reports that there’s also been a drop in demand for internships, particularly unpaid ones, alongside a general dip in young people working in the advertising and marketing sector.
IPG Staff Claim Saudi Aramco Work Broke Climate Pledge
Current and former staff working at agency group Interpublic Group say the business broke its own climate pledge in some of the work done for oil business Saudi Aramco, according to a report from the Financial Times this week. IPG announced a policy in 2022 that it would no longer support or engage in marketing or communications which seeks to extend the life of fossil fuels (a policy which it reworked last year to only cover trade associations and pressure groups). But two years ago, IPG helped plan a rebrand for Saudi Aramco, with former and current IPG staff telling Desmog that this work goes against the initial pledge. Those staff also claim that IPG ignored another element of its climate policy — to ensure that new energy clients are aligned with the Paris climate agreement — when it signed QatarEnergy as a client in April last year.
Stagwell Talks Down Chances of Second S4 Capital Bid
Mark Penn, CEO of agency group Stagwell, says his company is unlikely to make a second bid for rival firm S4 Capital, which is led by executive chairman Sir Martin Sorrell. Penn, speaking to The Times, confirmed that Stagwell had previously put in a “very significant” offer for S4 Capital. But Sorrell rejected that offer, and Penn says that S4 is now “certainly less attractive” than it was when the first offer was made.
Hires of the Week
BBC Studios Hires Jonathan Otto for North America Ad Sales
BBC Studios, the public service broadcaster’s commercial arm, has named Jonathan Otto as SVP of Ad Sales in North America. Otto will oversee direct media sales, sponsorships, and branded content for BBC Studios and BBC.com across the US and Canada. He joins from Axios where he headed up the Axios Live events business.
Publicis Names Steve Bignell as Global Head of PMX Lift
Publicis Groupe has announced the appointment of Steve Bignell as Global Head of PMX Lift, the holding company’s advanced TV buying product. Bignell previously spent eight years as Sales Director at UK broadcaster ITV, before joining Publicis as UK CEO of PMX, the group’s buying arm. He hands UK duties over to Andy Carter, CEO of PMX for the EMEA region.
Frank Süeltmann to Lead DACH and Nordic Expansion at Samba TV
Samba TV, a media intelligence business, has appointed Frank Süeltmann to lead its go-to-market strategy in the DACH (Germany, Austria, and Switzerland) and Nordic regions. His appointment comes during a period of growth across Europe for Samba TV, according to the company. Süeltmann joins from ad tech firm GumGum, where he served as Managing Director of Northern Europe.
Former Netflix Ads Chief Jeremi Gorman to Lead Fanatics’ New Ads Business
Fanatics, a digital sports business, has enlisted former Netflix ad chief Jeremi Gorman to lead its new advertising division, Fanatics Advertising. Gorman becomes Chief Revenue Officer, having served as a strategic advisor to the company since November. As Netflix’s first ads president she helped launch the streaming giant’s advertising business, following stints at Yahoo, Amazon and Snap.
ITV’s Matthew O’Shea Becomes Technology Director for ITV Studios
ITV has hired Matthew O’Shea as Technology Director for ITV Studios, the UK broadcaster’s production and distribution division. He will lead a team responsible for the design, implementation and support of tech solutions for ITV Studios. O’Shea joined ITV in 2011, most recently working as Director of Group Technology Platforms.
This Week on VideoWeek
Disney Continues European Content Push with ZDF Deal
UK Agencies Warn of Omnicom’s Post-Merger “Buying Power-House”
MFE Set to Take Control of ProSieben as it Buys PPF’s Stake
What’s Behind the Launch of LADbible’s FAST Channel? “They’re Already Watching on TV”
Ad of the Week
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