The Big Story

Data Privacy At The Kitchen Table

02 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

One reason regulators are paying more attention to data privacy? Their constituents care about this "kitchen table" issue. We open with insights from ...

Ad Tech's Off-Broadway Debut

26 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

The NewFronts, digital video's week of splashy sales pitches, is in full swing. Our reporters share what they learned on the ground. Plus: What can a...

The Media Spend Skim

19 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Principal-based buying is on the rise, and it's causing conflict between agencies and ad tech partners. Plus: What are sell-side agents, and how coul...

The Year CTV Goes Full-Funnel

12 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

2026 is the year CTV will bridge the gap between branding and performance. Fresh off the Convergent TV World event, our team discusses the rise of per...

Will The Trade Desk Right-Size Its Margins?

05 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Fees, fees, fees. The Trade Desk is facing market pressure in all directions: from rival DSPs offering lower fee structures, SSPs and agencies clashi...

Feeding A DSP With Shopper Data

27 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

The strategic value of commerce data continues to rise, as Infillion snaps up Catalina. Then, a court filing reveals where agencies spend clients' mon...

Gold Medal CTV

19 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

The Winter Olympics show us how far streaming live sports has come – and also how much linear viewership remains. Plus: CPGs are pulling back on ad ...

The Chatbot Ad Platform

12 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

OpenAI launched ads this week, making ChatGPT the newest canvas for advertising. But not before its biggest competitor, Anthropic, lambasted the deci...

The Publisher Path Through AI

05 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

At the IAB Annual Leadership Meeting this week, IAB CEO David Cohen demanded publishers receive payment from AI companies who are taking their content...

The Prebid Episode

30 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Prebid is on a roll. It will take charge of a seller agent, part of AdCP. Amazon's integration with Prebid is in beta. But there's one sticky point: M...

Guess It's AdsGPT Now?

22 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Ads were going to be a "last resort" for ChatGPT, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman promised two years ago. Now, they're finally here. Omnicom Digital CEO Jonatha...

Retail Media's Growing Influence On Retail

15 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

The year ahead in commerce, with insights from the NRF Big Show conference, where retailers congregate every January. Plus, the 2026 privacy policy ch...

Live from CES 2026

10 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Agents, streamers and robots, oh my! Live from the C-Space campus at the Aria Casino in Las Vegas, our team breaks down the most interesting ad tech t...

Two Types Of AI In Advertising

24 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

AI is fueling advertising, and AI agents are running ads. As we close out 2025, take a moment to listen to this AdExchanger Talks interview with Paul...

The GAM Changes On Publishers' Wish List

18 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

First, CTV: The VAB has a bone with pick with Nielsen about its Big Data ratings, and Pinterest and TVScientific pair up. Then: Google Ad Manager is m...

Warner Bros., Netflix, Paramount: The CTV Chessboard

11 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Netflix could acquire Warner Bros., unless Paramount swoops in or regulators intervene. How rearranging the streaming leaders could affect the CTV ad...

The Incredibly High Stakes Of Black Friday

04 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Consumer spending on Black Friday Cyber Monday was up 7%. But prices are high, and the most affluent customers are doing the most spending in the US....

The Shifting Dollars Flowing Through Programmatic Pipes

19 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Inside Omnicom's shift in spend from The Trade Desk DSP to Amazon DSP.

Yearning For Earnings

13 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

We break down some of the most interesting financial trends coming out of Q3 earnings reports, and what rises to the level of being worth covering in ...

APIs FTW, But IPs Are TBD

06 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

New APIs from Roku, Comcast and The Trade Desk are reshaping digital advertising, from self-serve campaign management to cross-platform measurement. B...

The Power of Prebid

30 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

With its wide adoption and independent membership, Prebid is powerful. We discuss Transaction IDs and the remedies phase of the antitrust trial with ...

Rest In Privacy, Sandbox

23 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Now that the Google Privacy Sandbox is officially gone, we take the time to reflect on the project's complicated legacy (and our favorite memories of ...

Prebid, Meet OpenAds

16 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Shortly after Trade Desk CEO Jeff Green said the DSP would splinter off from Prebid, he showed up at the Prebid Summit. Then, at ScreenShift, we learn...

The Trade Desk's Sell-Side Settlement

10 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

With its OpenAds wrapper, The Trade Desk is putting roots into ad tech's sell side. But publishers are wary.

The Big Story LIVE: AI Unleashed

02 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Live from New York at Programmatic IO, the AdExchanger editorial team debriefs what ad tech's brightest minds are saying and doing around AI and meas...

Calculating The Odds On The Google Spinoff

26 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Will Google need to spin off its ad exchange and ad server? Court is in session in Virgina, with the DOJ and Google advocating for completely differe...

What Ad Lawyers Are Saying About AI

19 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Advertising using AI-doctored images could spark legal issues if the images are misleading. Plus: the commerce reckoning.

AI-Driven Ad Tech Acquisitions

15 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

From a $637 million PE acquisition of healthcare of a DSP to acquisitions of freshly minted startups, there's been a flurry of ad tech deals this mon...

The Remedies Edition

04 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Google is running a search monopoly, but the remedies are light. How will this decision affect advertisers and competitors? Plus, Google Ad Manager is...

Will AI Companies Pay Publishers?

28 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Pause ads are going programmatic, as connected TV ad buying becomes more automated. Plus: how publishers are proposing to be compensated by AI compan...

Remedying A Monopolistic Ad Server

21 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

We've got the witness list for the remedy phase of the Google antitrust trial, which starts in September. Learn what changes Google could be forced t...

When The Trade Desk Dips, Ad Tech Drops

14 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The Trade Desk has won the battle for supremacy on the open internet, says Needham & Company's Laura Martin. But it might just be losing the war for ...

Ad Tech Goes To Court, OpenX v. Google Edition

07 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

OpenX filed a lawsuit against Google over its anticompetitive practices. And HyphaMetrics claimed victory against Nielsen in court over a patent laws...

Not So Long, Solimar

31 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Change can be bumpy. From The Trade Desk's Solimar-to-Kokai transition to Nielsen's transition to its Big Data + Panel offering, we go inside custome...

Transparent Non-Transparency

23 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Ad agency hold cos have broadcasted their earnings. As AI and acquisitions transform their businesses, there are clear winners and losers. With media...

Ads To Burn After Reading

17 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Pixels attached to articles explaining a recent health diagnosis – without consent  – led Healthline to a record $1.55 million fine for violatin...

Buying Ads In The Rabbit Hole

10 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

YouTube accounts are uploading recent Hollywood movies, racking up views while advertisers (and sometimes creators) remain in the dark. Plus: Could Cl...

Why The FTC Tied The Omnicom-IPG Merger To Brand Safety

26 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The FTC approved the Omnicom-IPG merger, but with a brand-safety caveat: The agencies cannot create agency-level blocklists of any media that's polit...

The Human Cannes

23 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

From Cannes Lions, our editorial team discusses the mix of perspectives on the ad industry's application of AI: the opportunity, the hesitation and t...

The Ad Agency Washing Machine

13 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In the latest sign of massive change among ad agency hold cos, Mark Read is stepping down as leader of WPP. We unpack the impact of AI on agency hold...

What Does It Mean To Be All In On AI?

05 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Meta updated its ad platform Wednesday with AI-based buying improvements. Is the company on track to be fully automated with AI by the end of next ye...

It's A Wrap On The Prebid Race

29 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Amazon is integrating into Prebid. What does this mean for publishers? Plus, are Amazon and Google diverging in their product focus?

Prog IO Live: AI, But With A Human Gut Check

23 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Recorded live on the Programmatic IO stage in Las Vegas, the editorial team recaps the trends that dominated our conference: marketers adopting AI an...

The AI Imperative Behind GroupM's "Restructuring"

15 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

GroupM is in the middle of "restructuring," as AI looms over the business model of agency holding companies. One-click campaign planning is coming fo...

The CTV DSP

08 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Does a connected TV DSP need lower take rates? Inside the battle among DSP's to take on The Trade Desk's dominant market position. Plus: an on-the-gro...

The Tariffs And The TV Upfronts - E340

01 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Emarketer is predicting tariffs could lead to a $2.78 billion to $4 billion decline in linear TV upfront spending, but CTV spending will be flat to up...

The Ad Tech Verdict On Google And Third-Party Cookies

23 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Google's SSP and ad server businesses have been ruled monopolies. Plus, Google Chrome isn't going to change its third-party cookie opt-ins, preserving...

Ta-Ta To US Temu Ads

18 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Temu pulled back on its US ad spend this week, as tariffs loom. Plus, in France, the ATT prompt was deemed anticompetitive and, as a result, will lik...

Riffing On Tariff Tiffs And Risks As Uncertainty Reigns

10 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The Trump tariff situation is in constant flux, creating uncertainty that spells doom for any potential growth in US ad spending this year. Plus, how ...

Bots And Games Are Back (For Ad Tech)

03 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

What's old is new. Time is a flat circle. Trends are cyclical. Choose your idiom, because this week's episode grapples with two topics that are back ...

In The Room Where (The Ad Auction) Happens

27 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

After the IAB Tech Lab proposed to move ad auctions from the browser to the server with its Trusted Server prototype, controversy ensued. Plus: Shoul...

M&A Mania: The Latest On Oracle-TikTok, and the Alphonso-LG Ads Aftermath

20 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Alphonso shareholders won their lawsuit against LG Ads, clearing the way for an IPO. Then, as TikTok counts down the days until its stay of execution...

Tariff Chaos And Yet More Ad Tech M&A

13 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Tariffs are taking effect in the US, and advertisers are shook. Our special guest, Madison and Wall's Brian Wieser, weighs in on the "blindingly obvio...

Programmatic's Pursuit of "Premium"

06 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Programmatic algorithms optimize for performance, which can leave digital media companies floundering. Inside programmatic's pursuit of "premium." Plu...

Connected TV's Growth Spurt; How Ozempic Is Upending Marketing

27 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In her last week at AdExchanger, Senior Editor Alyssa Boyle reflects on three years of change, and stasis, in the CTV space. Then, how Ozempic is chan...

The Trade Desk Miss That Shook Ad Tech

20 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

When the ad tech darling of Wall Street, The Trade Desk, misses earnings, the industry pays attention. Plus: Reddit, fueled by Google search, sputter...

The Worst Place To Show An Ad

13 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

When an ad shows up next to illegal content, there is often not a single point of failure. Adalytics Krzysztof Franaszek walks us through why he found...

Chrome's Global Cookie Consent; Nielsen and Paramount Make Nice

06 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The Google Chrome team is getting closer to deciding on its cookie consent mechanism. And  Paramount resolves its four-month standoff with Nielsen, a...

Ever-Elusive Transparency

31 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

CTV transparency remains a flashpoint between advertisers who want it and broadcasters who won't provide it. Our special guest, Jounce Media's Chris K...

TikTok On The Clock

23 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

TikTok was granted a 75-day stay of execution this week. We discuss what's next for the social media platform, why it was classified as a threat to n...

Ad Tech Is Acquiring: On T-Mobile-Vistar and TTD-Sincera

16 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

2025 M&A is off with a bang. T-Mobile bought Vistar Media. The Trade Desk bought Sincera. With a special guest from LUMA Partners, Conor McKenna, we e...

AI and Smart Tech: AdExchanger Does CES 2025

10 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Recorded from the showroom floor at CES, the AdExchanger editorial team talks about the intersection of consumer electronics and advertising with our ...

A Holiday Present: The Ex-FBI agent's Take on Programmatic Transparency

26 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

To close out the year, The Big Story team is posting one of our favorite AdExchanger Talks episodes of 2024. Who better to give her take on programamt...

Retail Media Standards: Miracle Or Meh?

19 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The IAB gave us new retail media standards for Christmas. But will the industry actually adopt them? Also, we discuss where the use of AI in advertisi...

Running the Numbers on Omnicom-IPG

12 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Omnicom is acquiring IPG. We unpack the nuances of the proposed deal with ad agency expert Brian Wieser, founder of the constancy Madison and Wall.

Don't Discount Black Friday

05 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This year, Black Friday stretched on for more than a week. And the retail holiday is evolving as online shopping takes over.  

The Closing Arguments of DOJ v. Google

27 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

It's Thanksgiving, so we are sharing our podcast feed by posting an episode of AdExchanger Talks. Recorded right after the closing arguments of US vs....

No More TV Drug Ads? Don't Hold Your Breath

21 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The odds of RFK Jr. implementing a ban on TV drug ads are slim, says our guest this week, BranchLab's Josh Walsh. Still, pharma advertisers...

Political Advertising Post-Mortem Analysis, Part Deux

14 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Jessica Alter, co-founder of the nonprofit Tech for Campaigns, believes political campaigns should model their digital ad strategy on that of seed-sta...

The Role Of Ad Dollars In The 2024 Presidential Election

06 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Trump won the 2024 election. To discuss how paid media played a role (and didn't) in his victory, we bring on guest Jordan Lieberman, CEO of Power In...

The Culture Clash Underneath Creative Ad Tech - E316

01 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

To explain Forrester's latest creative ad tech wave, we bring on author, Senior Analyst Nikhil Lai. Then, the untold story of how Prebid.org became an...

The Curation Debate - E315

24 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We discuss the rise of curation in programmatic buying and the current backlash. Is curation an ad network with new window dressing? And will it save...

Unboxing Amazon Ads' Ad Tech - E314

17 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

From the Amazon Ads Unboxed conference, AdExchanger reports on the ad tech products it's building. Plus, why brand safety and news publishers remain ...

Is The Trade Desk A Hero Or Villain To Independent Ad Tech?

10 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

As The Trade Desk grows more powerful, it's attracting more attention – and frustration – from independent ad tech. Plus: an update on Google Chr...

The US v. Google Witnesses Have Spoken – Now What? - E312

03 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

 It's a wrap on the US v. Google antitrust case, at least for now. Then, behind the IP infringement claim on the OpenRTB spec that ruffled feathers ...

Waiting On A Judge And The Polls - E311

27 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Hear what the ad tech industry is saying about Google's antitrust trial. Then, a rundown on how the election is playing out for political advertisers...

View From The US v. Google Trial Press Box - E310

19 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

After eight days of the antitrust trial, who's in the lead: the DOJ or Google? Details on the most gripping testimony so far with guest Arielle Garcia...

An Interview With A Star Witness In The Ad Tech Trial Of The Century - E309

12 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Index Exchange CEO Andrew Casale, fresh off the witness stand for US v. Google, and AdExchanger's courtroom reporter, Allison Schiff, join us to analy...

Uncloaking A New Programmatic Scam - E308

05 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

 Inside a cloaking scam that funneled ad spend to piracy websites. Then: your AI agency assistant is here, and it's ready to build your media plan.

Google's Header Bidding Countermeasures Go On Trial - E307

29 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Just two weeks before Google's antitrust trial, we discuss revelations from a cache of documents released in advance of the trial – plus, a primer ...

The VC POV - E306

22 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Special guest and prolific ad tech investor Eric Franchi of Aperiam Ventures discusses his firm's recent bet on attention metrics startup Adelaide. Pl...

Agency Ad Tech - E305

15 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Inside Publicis' play to be both an agency and an ad tech company. Plus: the dissolution of GARM and what it means for the future of brand safety.

Inside The Ruling That Deemed Google Search A Monopoly - E304

08 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

 Google is a monopolist. We bring on a guest that's both a lawyer and a CEO of a search ad business to offer his perspective on the antitrust ruling...

The Looming Question Of Cookie Consent

01 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

What will Chrome's third-party consent look like? We offer our best guess based on existing information (which is thin). Plus, we spotlight the contro...

The Third-Party Cookie Pardon - E302

24 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Keep the cookies; hold for consent. We unpack Google's reversal on third-party cookies and what it means for the ad industry, which was preparing for ...

A Refresh On The DOJ's Upcoming Antitrust Trial Against Google

17 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

We set the scene for Google's upcoming antitrust trial in September, including details from the recently released witness list, a who's who of the ad ...

Episode 300: The End of Oracle's Advertising Era

11 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

For our 300th episode, we do a post-mortem (don't do a brand safety block on us for using this term!) on Oracle's ad business. Then, we go through the...

The PET Project That Mozilla Acquired - E299

27 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This week, we bring on the CEO and CTO of privacy tech startup Anonym, which was acquired by Mozilla, to talk about PETs (privacy-enhancing technologi...

Cannes Lions, Generative AI Edition

20 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

At the Cannes Lions, generative AI applications for advertising were out in force. Plus: takes from the Croisette on retail media and cookie conspirac...

Nope, We Haven't Hit Peak Retail Media Yet - E297

13 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The move from in-store to digital shopper marketing continues, as United Airlines, Costco, PayPal, Chase and Expedia make new retail media plays. Plu...

Ranking The Open Web - E296

06 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

SPO is moving from efficiency to curation to ranking the top 500 publishers. We talk through industry reactions to The Trade Desk's SP500+ product. P...

The Shrinking Open Web

30 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The open web is getting smaller, with the squeeze happening in two directions. Curated deals are skimming the cream off the open web, and exposed mad...

'Incrementality' Is The Buzzword That Stole Prog IO

23 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Our other "a-ha" moments from the conference, including observations on CTV, the state of commerce media, programmatic transparency – and the lack...

Measuring Muck - E293

16 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Made-for-advertising sites are roosting in reputable publishers' subdomains. IDs are declared inconsistently. And the established third-party measure...

Data Dazzles Ahead Of The Upfronts

09 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Will data dazzle media buyers at this year's TV upfronts? Plus: Why recent changes to Google search results have decimated traffic for some digital p...

Privacy Sandbox Yellow Flags - E291

02 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Debrief on the CMA's biggest issues with the Privacy Sandbox highlighted in its latest report. Then, a vibe check on the Newfronts.

The Third Delay For Third-Party Cookies Leaves Ad Tech In Limbo

25 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Cookies aren't going anywhere. Behind Google's third missed deadline to remove third-party cookies from Chrome and what it means for ad tech.

Retreat To MMM

18 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

 One side effect of signal loss? Media mix modeling is coming back in fashion. Google's Meridian is the latest entrant in the MMM space, which is be...

Hidden Made-For-Advertising (MFA) - E288

11 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Inside Forbes' hidden MFA site, and the industry reactions to the ad-crammed subdomain. Plus: a dispatch from the Global Privacy Summit in Washington...

Ad Tech's Performance Review

04 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

TV ad buying platform Cadent acquires AdTheorent, setting its sights on omnichannel. Also in this episode: The less-than-kosher attribution game that...