Week in Review: Goalhanger Brings Ad Sales In-House, Google Faces $3.2 Billion in Publisher Lawsuits, and IAB Europe Pushes CTV Measurement Standards

In this week’s Week in Review: Goalhanger takes full control of ad sales, a US judge rules that Google can face $3.2 billion in publisher lawsuits relating to ad tech antitrust harms, and IAB Europe finalises its CTV transparency and measurement framework.

Top Stories

Goalhanger Brings Ad Sales Fully In-House with Plans for Upfronts

Video podcasting business Goalhanger announced this week that it is bringing its advertising sales operation fully in-house from January next year, a move which it says will help brands and agencies build broader partnerships spanning audio, video, social, newsletters, live events, and branded content.

“Goalhanger has reached the scale where having full in-house ownership of our advertising sales operation is the natural next step,” said Josh Akers, Goalhanger’s director of commercial operations. “We’re approaching a billion full-episode views and streams a year, and the commercial opportunity around the network has grown significantly alongside it. We’ve been building out our in-house commercial capabilities across partnerships, delivery and creative production over the recent years to give us greater ownership of our revenue, building closer relationships with our media agency and client partners.”

While Goalhanger is most closely associated with video podcasts, the business has been expanding its content output in recent months. The company says its deal with Netflix, which brought its football-focussed show The Rest is Football onto the streaming platform, represents an expansion beyond podcasting. And its ad sales operation will borrow from the TV world, with plans for a Goalhanger Upfronts event next year.

Google Faces $3.2 Billion Lawsuits From Publishers Over Ad Tech Harms

A US Judge has ruled that USA Today, The Daily Mail & General Trust (DMGT) and a class of large publishers can seek more than $3.2 billion from Google, in damages for harm caused by the tech giant’s monopolisation of the ad tech market.

On Wednesday, US District Judge P. Kevin Castel said he will allow jury trials to move forward in the case against Google’s conduct related to its AdX advertising exchange, according to Bloomberg. 

The class includes around 5,000 publishers, which can pursue approximately $1.7 billion in damages from Google, per the ruling. USA Today and DMGT, which each sued separately, will be allowed to seek about $900 million and $600 million, respectively. 

IAB Europe Finalises CTV Measurement and Transparency Framework

IAB Europe, a European trade association for digital marketing and advertising, has released its final CTV Measurement Framework and Transparency Principles, following a public comment period. The Framework provides a common set of metrics and definitions for CTV campaigns, alongside baseline expectations for how those metrics should be disclosed and reported. 

The Framework covers foundational delivery metrics (ad impressions, GIVT and SIVT filtration, TV-off detection and viewability), exposure and audience metrics (view-through rate, video completion rate, device ID, reach and content-level information), and performance and outcome metrics (conversions, ROAS, incrementality, brand uplift, ad recall and attention). 

Marie-Clare Puffett, Senior Director, Industry Development & Marketing at IAB Europe, said the framework provides common reference points not only for industry metrics, but for the information that needs to be disclosed alongside them. “That transparency is essential if buyers and sellers are to interpret CTV measurement consistently and make meaningful comparisons.”

The Week in Tech

Amazon Ads Rebrands DSP to DVA in Agentic Upgrade

Amazon Ads has rebranded its demand-side platform (DSP), along with its sponsored product and search-based ad console, the company announced at its unBoxed event on Tuesday. According to AdExchanger, Amazon DSP has been replaced by DVA (Display, Video and Audio), while the Amazon Ads console and Amazon DSP have merged to become The Amazon Ads Agent. Advertisers using DVA will be able to run DVA+ campaigns, an AI-based option powered by Performance+ (optimised towards sales and conversions) or Brand+ (for branding and customer prospecting) depending on campaign objectives.

Dailymotion Launches Dailymotion Business to Combine Signals Across OLV, CTV and Creator Ecosystem

On Monday, Dailymotion announced the launch of Dailymotion Business, a new global proposition that brings together the company’s various capabilities developed over the last 20 years: video technology, advertising, monetisation and proprietary intelligence. The goal is to help media owners, enterprises, creators and brands generate greater value from video, according to Dailymotion. Read more on VideoWeek.

Google DV360 Adds Vertical Video Buying and Measurement 

Google Display & Video 360, the tech giant’s demand-side platform (DSP), has launched Vertical Video Unification, enabling advertisers to buy and measure vertical video programmatically across channels. Google said the new solution centralises vertical video buys from publishers across vertical video into a single workstream, and uses its AI tool Gemini to control buying, execution and measurement. The company added that during initial testing, Unilever’s Hellmann’s and WPP Media achieved a 24 percent increase in unique reach while reducing cost per unique user by 25 percent.

GVTLabs Launches AskGVT to Make Video Searchable

GVTLabs has emerged from stealth with an AI product designed to make video searchable by consumers seeking information, as well as brands and media owners looking for creators when running a campaign. The AskGVT tool enables users to query a creator’s video feed and receive the answer in the form of text analysis, while also surfacing video clips, with a link to the full video. Read more on VideoWeek.

Apple’s iOS Update Blocks The Trade Desk From Serving Ads on Safari 

Since the release of Apple’s iOS 27 operating system on 14th September, The Trade Desk has been unable to serve ads to the Safari browser on Apple devices running the latest OS. Apple has been investigating the issue since last week, AdExchanger reported on Tuesday. While Apple blocks data broker domains that handle addressable ID matching and facilitate tracking across sites, it has also added The Trade Desk’s domain for third-party cookies (adsrvr.org) to the blocklist, according to the report.

Barb Launches Third Phase of API for “More Reliable” Performance

Barb, the UK’s TV measurement body, has launched the third phase of its API, which is free to access for Barb underwriters and clients with a full licence. According to Barb, API 3.0 offers three core enhancements on the previous iteration: faster and more reliable performance, new programme and spot reach endpoints, and Barb Data Hub integration. “Version three of the Barb API is an important element of Barb’s data distribution strategy,” said Khaled El Serafy, Barb’s Director of Data and Technology. “Our aim is to make Barb data more accessible, offering the industry choice in how Barb data can be ingested quickly, reliably, and in a ready-to-use format. We will continue to work to update the API based on our users’ feedback, along with exploring cloud data shares and agentic AI as parallel future-focused data distribution systems.”

WBD Integrates Prisma Direct for Connecting Advertisers to Premium Supply

Warner Bros. Discovery Advertising is integrating Mediaocean’s Prisma Direct with its ad tech system, the companies announced on Thursday, enabling brands and agencies to connect directly with supply from premium media companies. The partners said that connecting buyer and seller workflows more directly helps reduce manual processes that have “long complicated direct media transactions”, while improving speed, accuracy and transparency. “Premium media represent some of the most valuable inventory in advertising, yet buying it still relies on too many manual, fragmented workflows,” said Drew Kane, Chief Product Officer at Prisma. “Prisma Direct is changing that by creating direct, automated connections between the systems agencies already use to manage media and the publishers they want to buy from.”

wedotv Launches Dynamic Ad Insertion on MagentaTV with New FAST Channels

wedotv, a free streaming network, is launching two new FAST channels (wedotv Sports and wedotv True Stories) on Deutsche Telekom’s MagentaTV service. The company is also introducing Dynamic Ad Insertion (DAI) on the new channels, as well as its Movies service on MagentaTV, allowing advertisers to book programmatic, targeted campaigns. “We are pleased to expand our successful partnership with MagentaTV, which began four years ago with the launch of wedotv Movies,” said Philipp Rotermund, CEO and Co-Founder of wedotv. “We are now taking the next step: Dynamic Ad Insertion creates new, attractive and contemporary advertising opportunities for advertisers. At the same time, we are giving MagentaTV viewers even more programme choice with additional German-language channels.”

The Week in TV

RTL AdAlliance Launches in Spain with Atresmedia Publicidad Partnership

RTL AdAlliance, the RTL-owned sales house which represents European broadcasters’ inventory in international markets, this week announced its formal launch in Spain. The company is opening its first Spanish office, and has also agreed a strategic alliance with local broadcaster Atresmedia Publicidad to aid its growth in Spain. Read more on VideoWeek.

French Competition Authority Investigates Canal+ Over Film Distribution Terms

Canal+ Group is being investigated by the French Competition Authority over suspected abuse of its dominant position in film acquisition and distribution. The watchdog’s grievances concern the “imposition of unfair settlement conditions” by the media company, adding that the investigation would determine whether the grievances “are founded or not”. In 2021, Canal+ committed to invest €600 million in French and European cinema over the subsequent three years, in an agreement that allegedly limited the number of films available on competing free platforms. In July this year, the group announced a €980 million investment over the next five years, reportedly protecting the current media windowing conditions.

Disney Reportedly Plans TV Business Restructuring

Disney is planning a restructuring of its TV business that could ​result in hundreds of layoffs and the consolidation ‌of divisions, the WSJ reported on Thursday. The ‌plans involve organising the business around streaming instead of brands built for linear TV networks, according to sources familiar with the matter, and are expected to affect ABC Entertainment, ​20th Television, ​Hulu Originals and ⁠Freeform. The report follows hundreds of layoffs at Disney last year across several TV and film teams.

WBD Brings Scene-Level and Emotion Targeting to Contextual Ads Solution ‘Moments’

Warner Bros. Discovery Advertising has updated its contextual solution ‘Moments’ with expanded contextual intelligence, including scene-level targeting capabilities and ‘Emotion Targeting’. The upgrade enables advertisers to identify and activate against specific content on HBO Max and discovery+, based on object and location taxonomies, as well as emotional context. “The evolution of Moments and Emotion Targeting represent a significant advancement in how we can make scene-level metadata actionable and create an advertising experience that feels more native to the stories we’re telling,” said Rachel Derrico, Vice President, Product Management at WBD.

Arqiva Backs DTT Switch-Off in Government Response

UK telco Arqiva has submitted its response to the Government’s Green Paper on the future of TV distribution in the UK. The response includes a fully costed proposal for a managed switch-off of Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) in 2044, which the company calls “the most practical, affordable and resilient option”. Under Arqiva’s proposals, universal access to public service broadcasting (PSB) would be protected during the transition, while reducing broadcaster transmission costs and energy consumption, according to the company.

Canal+ Warns Against French VAT Increase on Linear TV

The French finance ministry’s plan to increase VAT on linear pay-TV to 20 percent could cost Canal+ around €200 million a year, the French pay-TV business has warned. Currently linear TV can qualify for 10 percent VAT, whereas on-demand services are subject to 20 percent. The company said that doubling the current rate for linear could impact prices, jobs and its €980 million commitment to French cinema, according to Broadband TV News.

BT Launches TV Service in Brand’s Return

BT, a UK telco, is launching a BT-branded TV ​service, after reversing ​a decision last ​year to focus on its ⁠newer EE brand. Available from 15th October, BT ​TV ​will combine live sport, live TV and streaming, according to the business. The company also launched a ‌BT-branded ⁠mobile service in May, alongside a marketing campaign highlighting the brand’s return.

The Week for Publishers

Condé Nast CEO Roger Lynch Steps Down to Become Mattel CEO 

Roger Lynch, CEO of Condé Nast, is stepping down after seven and a half years in the role, as he takes over as CEO of Mattel. Mike Perlis, lead independent director of the publishing company, will serve as interim CEO until a permanent replacement is found. “When I joined Condé Nast, I had the simple ambition to leave this extraordinary place stronger than I found it,” Lynch said in his resignation announcement. “Together, we navigated a pandemic, enormous disruption across our industry, and a media landscape that seemed to change beneath our feet every year. And yet, there is no doubt that we transformed Condé Nast for a new era.”

The Independent Introduces Ad-Lite and Ad-Free Membership Options

UK news brand The Independent has launched Independent Membership, a subscription-based community that replaces the Independent Premium offering. Members will have access to exclusive content, members-only newsletters, a personalised newsfeed, and members-only events. There are also 80 percent fewer ads for Standard Access members (£11 per month) and no ads for All Access members (£15 per month).

US Judge Dismisses Penske Lawsuit Against Google’s AI Overviews 

A US judge has dismissed a lawsuit brought against Google by Penske Media Corporation, the parent company of Variety, Hollywood Reporter and Rolling Stone. Penske accused the tech giant of illegally using the publisher’s content to produce AI overviews that harmed its traffic and revenues. US District Judge Amit Mehta ruled that no “formal bargain” had ever been struck between publishers and Google, meaning they cannot prove a claim under antitrust law. 

Major Publishers Push for US Crackdown on “Bad Bots”

Representatives from major publishing groups including Condé Nast, Hearst, and USA Today headed to Washington this week to push US senators and members of Congress to crack down on unidentified AI stealth crawlers. The publishing executives called for support for the Stealth Bot Prohibition Act, according to Digiday, a proposed bill which would force bots to identify themselves as AI scrapers. This would make it easier for media groups to block unwanted AI crawlers from accessing their content.

Financial Times Sees Strong 2025 UK Revenue Growth

The Financial Times’ UK accounts for 2025, published on Companies House, show five percent revenue growth last year as total revenues topped £477 million. Operating profits meanwhile more than doubled, up to £18.3 million. The publisher said it saw continued growth across key revenue streams including subscriptions, advertising, and events. Advertising income grew by £5.3 million year-on-year to £151.3 million, as digital gains offset print declines.

New Scientist Launches B2B Commercial Offering

New Scientist has launched a new B2B commercial platform called New Scientist Business, which combines the science magazine’s B2B advertising, branded content, research, and events products, Press Gazette reported this week. Within this overarching hub, New Scientist is launching a host of new commercial products, including partnered podcasts hosted by New Scientist journalists, and bespoke video content.

The Week for Brands & Agencies

WPP Pushes for Efficiency in AI Use

British agency group WPP — like all the major marketing groups — has invested heavily in AI. But CEO Cindy Rose is pushing to ensure staff aren’t “cracking nuts with sledgehammers”, according to a report from The Times this week, as it takes stock of tokenomics. WPP has created “model routing agents” which direct staff towards the most appropriate tool or model for a particular use case. The company has also blocked some staff from using more sophisticated and expensive AI products where they’re deemed unnecessary.

Global Brands Are Ditching Labour-Based Agency Fees, Finds WFA

A new report from the World Federation of Advertisers (WFA) and Agency Mania Solutions suggests that global brands have “effectively ditched” the traditional time-and-resource (FTE-based) pricing model for agency remuneration, as multinationals shift towards a mix of output-based payment methodologies. The report, ‘How Brands Define, Scope and Reward Agency Work’, suggests that labour-based payments, the dominant approach in 2011, now represent the main agency compensation model for just 19 percent of global brands. Meanwhile fixed-fee/output models have risen from 20 percent to 33 percent over the 15-year period, and ‘Labour + Performance’ models have more than doubled, from 9 percent to 21 percent. Read more on VideoWeek.

UK Digital Ad Spend Tops £21 Billion in First Half of 2026

Total UK digital ad spend reached £21.2 billion in the first half of this year, according to new data from IAB UK, up 13 percent year-on-year. With digital ad investment having continued its rapid growth trajectory in recent years, more money was spent in the first half of this year than the whole of 2020 — though that year was of course affected by the pandemic. Retail media was the fastest-growing area tracked by IAB, up 32 percent, while video investment rose by 18 percent.

Almost All Major Brands Now Use Generative or Agentic AI

Ninety-six percent of major brands now say they use generative or agentic AI in marketing, up from 45 percent in 2023, according to the WFA’s State of AI in Marketing 2026 report. Content creation and production remains the most common use case, as it was in 2023, cited by 80 percent of those surveyed. Productivity and team efficiencies (74 percent), content ideation (74 percent), and research, insights, and social listening (72 percent) were the next most commonly named areas where generative AI is being used.

Two Independent Agencies Assist India’s Advertising Antitrust Investigation

Two independent agencies are assisting India’s competition authority in its investigation into alleged price fixing conducted by several major holding groups in India, e4m reported this week. Dentsu was known to be assisting the CCI, but its probe has expanded beyond the information provided by Dentsu, and at least two indies are providing further information. Several of the global agency groups have had their offices raided by the CCI, including Publicis, WPP, Interpublic, and Dentsu itself, as have two broadcaster trade groups. 

Stagwell Ups Investment in Real Clear Holdings

Challenger marketing group Stagwell has bumped up its investment in Real Clear Holdings, owner of American political news website RealClearPolitics as well as a number of other websites under the RealClear brand. Stagwell says the deal reflects its confidence in the continued importance of trusted, independent media. “Over the past 25 years, Real Clear has built an incredible track record as a go-to source for political decision-makers and influencers to understand what is happening across the political spectrum,” said Ben Berentson, CEO of Owned Media at Stagwell.

ISBA and RMA Release Creator Marketing Framework

UK advertiser trade group ISBA and Responsible Marketing Advisory (RMA) have released a new creator marketing framework which the two organisations say will help brands decide who should own creator marketing in their business, whether they should build in-house teams, and how to prove its value to key shareholders. “Creator marketing now commands serious budgets, but the structures around it haven’t kept pace,” said Bobi Carley, director of media and advertising relations at ISBA. “Too often, ownership happens by default and value is hard to prove.” Research supporting the release found that 59 percent of brands say they can assess creator ROI only “somewhat confidently”, and the framework seeks to help address that challenge.

Hires of the Week

Mattel’s Ynon Kreiz to Co-Lead Paramount and WBD With David Ellison

Paramount Skydance has announced Ynon Kreiz as Co-CEO of the merged Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD). Kreiz joins from Mattel, where he has served as Chairman and CEO since 2018. David Ellison will remain Chairman and CEO of the merged entity.

Mail Metro Media Promotes CRO Dominic Williams to CEO

Mail Metro Media, the sales house representing the Daily Mail, Metro, i, and New Scientist, has promoted Dominic Williams to CEO. He joined the business as Chief Investment officer in 2017, before becoming Chief Revenue Officer in 2021.

WPP Media Names Laura Ryan as Chief Media Officer

WPP Media has appointed Laura Ryan as Chief Media Officer, to oversee the agency’s global investment, partnerships, media management and activation teams. Ryan previously spent 15 years at IPG’s Orion Worldwide, becoming Global CEO in 2022. 

PMG Announces Trio of UK Hires

PMG, a global agency and platform business, has hired Rebecca Hamilton, Jon Manning and Duncan Nichols to respectively lead the Commerce, Video and Audio, and Integrated Communications practices in EMEA. Hamilton joins from OMG UK, while Manning led advanced TV at Medialab Group, and Nichols spent almost 10 years at Croud.

Anna Palmer to Lead Planning at Mediaplus 

Mediaplus, an independent media agency, has named Anna Palmer as Head of Comms Planning & Strategy. In the newly created role, Palmer will lead development of the agency’s new planning function. She joins from Walk-In Media, where she became Head of Planning in 2022. 

Channel Factory Promotes Juliet McCutcheon to Country Manager UK

Channel Factory, a contextual advertising company, has promoted Juliet McCutcheon to Country Manager UK. Previously Commercial Director UK, McCutcheon will assume responsibility for driving the growth of Channel Factory’s UK business. She joined the company in 2019, following stints at Amobee and OMD.

This Week on VideoWeek

Dailymotion Launches Dailymotion Business to Combine Signals Across OLV, CTV and Creator Ecosystem

RTL AdAlliance Launches in Spain with Atresmedia Publicidad Partnership

Week in Charts: Candle Media’s Kevin Mayer on Paramount’s WBD Acquisition, Video Ad Spend Grows in UK, and Consumers Question Brands’ Use of AI

MFE Has “All the Munitions” to Fight Against Global Streaming Giants

The CTV Advertising Guide 2027 is Now Available to Download

Global Brands Are Ditching Labour-Based Agency Fees Finds WFA

GVTLabs Launches AskGVT to Make Video Searchable

Introducing AIMM Forum

European Video Awards 2026: The Winners

Ad of the Week

On, Zendaya in Your New Favourite Action Movie

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