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A new report by Stagwell surveyed thousands of American adults about ads placed next to various news topics. It found little for brands to be concerned about.

A new study aims to convince advertisers that the news is brand-safe

Streaming became a larger force at the upfronts this year, with Amazon and Netflix presenting to advertisers and NBCUniversal, Disney, and Fox giving significant time to streaming services.

Streaming takes over the upfronts with Netflix’s NFL news and the Great Rebundling

The business model for news journalism has been hurt by misconceptions of brand safety around placing ads in proximity to news.

Turning the vicious cycle of news and advertising into a virtuous one

NBCUniversal kicked off upfronts week with key figures for its machine-learning ad platform and a focus on its live sports offering.

‘We did not create another opaque walled garden’: NBCU touts transparency (and sports) at upfronts

NBCU’s ad president talks upfronts, strategic audiences, brand storytelling, and the Paris Olympics.

NBCUniversal's Alison Levin on strategic audience buying, the power of brand storytelling and the Paris Olympics

If you say “AI” enough times, will it become reality?

3 big insights from OMR 2024, Europe’s top marketing summit

The Trade Desk's Jed Dederick explores the pervasiveness of the nontransparent ad network monetization model in advertising.

The murky world of ad networks

Measurement is emerging as an important part of this upfronts season, as advertisers are searching for more than just scale.

Inside the upfronts’ measurement and attribution transformation

EssenceMediacom Canada CEO Urania Agas on the state of the news industry in Canada, and how marketers are responding.

5 minutes with EssenceMediacom Canada’s Urania Agas

To advance the open internet, publishers and advertisers need to align on better measurement

Chris Ebmeyer, SVP Director of Media Services at 160/90  explores how marketers can account for the “messy” nature of today’s digital advertising landscape.

How to manage this messy moment in digital advertising

The industry innovator is leading the market again, shifting its focus to the metrics that matter

Doubt Netflix at your own peril 

The former LA Times journalist breaks down the future of journalism after Google removed news links from search results in response to the California Journalism Preservation Act (CJPA).

5 minutes with journalist Matt Pearce

The Trade Desk's Stuart Colman shares why the world of digital advertising is bigger than the Chrome browser.

The world of digital advertising is bigger than the Chrome browser

Fresh data indicates Americans surveyed increasingly prefer ads with their streaming plans over commercial-free subscriptions.

66% of U.S. streamers would rather watch free video content with ads than pay for ad-free subscriptions

Retail media shines in 2023’s digital ad revenue surge despite industry concerns, according to IAB’s 2023 Internet Advertising Revenue Report. 

Retail media ad revenue hit $43.7 billion in 2023, surging 16.3%

New data suggests an opportunity for streaming services to focus their attention on winning back those who canceled, at a time when the metrics of success are shifting.

32% of U.S. streaming cancellations are ‘won back’ after 6 months

Streaming’s premium environment lifts brand impact and outperforms social media across all points along the purchase decision journey, according to a new report by Magnite.

71% of TV viewers in Southeast Asia watch ad-supported streaming

Viewers are increasingly turning to smaller streamers to satisfy their appetite for original programming.

Smaller streamers’ share of global demand for originals increased 36% in a year

A new report surveying 150 U.S. agency and brand leaders reveals the industry is tipping further toward connected TV (CTV).

63% of U.S. advertisers are prioritizing CTV at least as much as linear TV during upfronts

Over-the-top (OTT) users in India are up 13.5% as of the end of 2023; however, the rate of growth seen during the pandemic has since subsided.

Post-pandemic, 34% of people in India — 481 million consumers — are now streaming content

Connected TV (CTV) and other digital platforms are poised to take 28 percent, or approximately $3.5 billion, of U.S. political ad spending in 2024.

U.S. political ad spend on digital projected to jump 156 percent over last presidential election year

During this election year, growing levels of misinformation on social media are giving rise to advertising alternatives like CTV.

As U.S. election looms, political advertisers shift focus to CTV

Political media buyers need to think beyond microtargeting that simply matches the voter file and embrace a more layered approach to programmatic to reach new voters.

How political media buyers misuse programmatic

Political advertising experts say there’s a lot that brands across sectors can learn from how political campaigns operate.

Taking a page out of the political playbook: What marketers can learn from 2024 presidential campaigns

Bully Pulpit Interactive's Mike Schneider shares his take on where innovation throughout this election cycle will be focused.

A brand marketer’s guide to victory in a U.S. presidential election year

Publishers and ad-tech platforms are making it easier for political ad buyers to reach audiences wherever they’re watching.

For political campaigns, candidates opt for an increasingly digital campaign trail

Tracing back the evolution of political advertising, from Eisenhower to Biden. Political campaigns have swung from radio ads to big data and connected TV.

For Context: The Evolution of Political Media

As political ad spending hits record highs in the U.S. for the 2022 midterm election, a new study by The Trade Desk and Morning Consult shows the impact of targeted steaming ads in battleground states.

How a surge in targeted political ads during the midterms impacted battleground states

More consumer purchasing power meets the growing popularity of ad-supported streaming.

Japan’s end of negative interest rates could be CTV advertisers’ golden opportunity

As live sports and other events increasingly shift to streaming, appointment television is helping drive engagement for SVOD platforms.

Appointment TV isn’t dead. It’s making a comeback on streaming platforms.

As some sports gain traction outside of their main markets, streamers could benefit from identifying those that are spiking in popularity around the world.

How sports could be a global gold mine for streamers and advertisers

Starting next year, Netflix plans to no longer report quarterly subscriber numbers; experts say the path forward lies in ad revenue over subscriber growth.

Netflix’s latest move shows how streaming TV is tipping toward ads

What’s at stake? Only the future of European media.

European broadcasters are reinventing themselves for the future of TV

NBCUniversal and the Olympics are evolving with viewers. Advertisers are responding with $1.2 billion in ad commitments and counting.

The Olympics’ role in culture is evolving, and advertisers are moving with it

CBC announced that it’s offering ad inventory programmatically for the first time, reflecting changing media strategies and viewing habits for live sports in Canada.

How programmatic is changing the game for live sports in Canada

Connected TV (CTV) is picking up steam as a way to get more small, local and regional businesses to advertise, especially programmatically.

Why streamers like Disney, NBCUniversal and Paramount are courting small businesses

As retail media evolves beyond retail networks, many in the audio industry see an opportunity to strike a harmonious relationship that could benefit both parties.

Audio and retail are getting in tune with one another

Measurement is becoming a bigger factor in the upfronts as networks’ authenticated ad space matches up with retailers’ verified buyers.

Retail data is entering the upfronts as measurement gets more important

A wave of retail data is sweeping Europe, with advertisers increasingly relying on it amid cookie deprecation and an evolving regulatory landscape.

Retail data has taken over Europe. Now what?

More and more people are engaging with sports around the world, and brands can capitalize on these fans’ newfound interest.

It’s not just Swifties: There are more sports fans, and brands see a way to score

Advertisers lean on first-party data, retail data, shoppable ads and more to earn a spot on Christmas wish lists.

First-party and retail data will be tested this holiday season as cookie sunsetting approaches

From connected TV to digital out-of-home to audio, DTC brands are finding new ways to reach their customers.

DTC brands increasingly see the advertising opportunity on the open internet

Marlow Nickell, co-founder and CEO of Grocery TV, joins Asking for a friend to discuss in-store lift.

Asking for a friend: What is in-store lift?

President and CEO of Volta, Brandt Hastings, joins Asking for a friend to explain place-based media.

Asking for a friend: What is place-based media?

Unilever Head of U.S. Media Investment and Partnerships, Aaron Sobol explains green media and what the industry can do to increase sustainability efforts.

Asking for a friend: What is green media?

McDonalds' Alison Ciccione joins The Current's Asking for a friend to explain the magic behind leveraging first-party data

Asking for a friend: How do I activate first-party data?

Mark Jablonowski, CTO and president of politics and public affairs at Optimal, explains the basics of geofencing and how it allows for specific measurement.

Asking for a friend: What is geofencing?

Scott Ensign, chief strategy officer at Butler/Till, discusses building a digital-first strategy and the advantages to digital media.

Asking for a friend: What is digital-first strategy?

Ander Lopez Ochoa, EMEA head of Kenvue, breaks down supply path optimization (SPO) and its importance for marketers.

Asking for a friend: What is SPO?

Jimmy Spano, EVP and head of Dentsu media sports, joins Asking for a friend to discuss how brands can get the most value out of live sports.

Asking for a friend: Where is the most value in live sports?

Hearst Newspaper's Vice President of Programmatic, Mike Irenski, joins The Current Podcast to explore the value of local journalism and what advertisers need to know about it.

Hearst Newspapers’ Michael Irenski on the value of local journalism, keyword blocklists and Popeye

News publishers and the IAB are making the case that advertising alongside news has positive business consequences.

IAB, news publishers push how news is good for advertisers at NewFronts

Ford’s Chief Futurist joins The Current Podcast to discuss how preparing for the future is imperative for marketing.

Ford’s Chief Futurist imagines how AI could grow the relationship between drivers and their cars

If journalism isn't around, how will generative A.I. models feed new information?

Why it makes business sense for A.I. models to keep journalism around

Big tech is battling journalism over proposed legislation in California that would force companies like Google to pay to carry links to news articles.

Big Tech and journalism battle over proposed legislation in California

Advertisers felt ‘March Madness’ after the intense demand for women’s basketball. We're breaking down why the game is breaking through.

Advertisers are taking notice of the power and scale of women’s sports after March Madness

Advertisers take notice of the power and scale of women’s sports after March Madness

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Executive Vice President, VAB

Danielle DeLauro

LinkedIn

Emma Shepherd

Chief Revenue Officer, Snopes.com

Justin Wohl

CEO, Stagwell

Mark Penn

Michelle Castillo

Twitter

Travis Clark

Read hot takes and in-depth perspectives from the industry’s eminent leaders, thinkers, and influencers.

Opinion

Exploring the latest in consumer data, including innovations in first-party data and Unified ID 2.0.

Data Privacy

Learn about the latest trends in digital advertising, and the brands and agencies that are pioneering them.

Marketing Strategy

The most critical innovations in advertising are happening on the open internet — identity, the future of TV, retail media, and beyond. Born inside The Trade Desk, The Current is a news platform dedicated to covering the latest in modern marketing — all from the front lines. Speaking to the marketing world’s most influential players, we explain what these seismic shifts mean, how they are happening, and why they are taking place.

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How streaming is transforming how we watch television.

Streaming

Get the latest news, trends, and insights shaping the future of digital marketing and programmatic advertising.

The Latest

Chief Revenue Officer, The Trade Desk

Senior Director, European Identity, The Trade Desk

CEO, Founder & Chairman, The Trade Desk

Stories about the emerging retail media market, including the latest brand partnerships.

Retail

Everything digital marketers need to know to make their jobs easier.

Office Hours

In this election year, discover the latest topics and trends in political marketing as a new era of digital-first advertising is emerging.

Political

How marketers are adapting their strategies to societal shifts and industry trends.

Culture

Weekly episodes featuring marketing leaders of the world’s most influential brands and agencies

Podcast

CEO & founder, AJL Advisory

Managing Director, Exverus Media

SVP, monetization and business strategy, Mediavine

A spotlight on leaders from across the advertising industry

Leaders

Chief Commercial Officer, The Trade Desk

Bite-size articles and infographics featuring the latest data every marketer should know.

The Readout

You’ve reached the end of the open internet! <br/> (Or at least the end of our search results.)

As Generative AI rises and Google deprecates third-party cookies, digital news outlets have an opportunity to create more direct relationships with readers.

With AI looming as a threat to news sites, publishers push back

During this year’s Forward ’24 event, advertisers shared how they are leveraging live sports as it moves into streaming.

How streaming is changing the game for live sports and advertisers

The electronics giant saw a major improvement in online to offline sales attribution after implementing a custom solution leveraging Unified ID 2.0 (UID2).

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