Week in Review: Netflix Ads Expands in Europe, Higgsfield On Track for $1 Billion Run Rate, and TVs Account for Half of UK YouTube Viewing

September 26, 2026

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In this week’s Week in Review: Netflix holds its first UK Upfront, Higgsfield approaches a $1 billion run rate, and YouTube releases fresh data on TV set viewership.

The Week in Tech

Meta Files Legal Challenge Against Ofcom Over Online Safety Act

Meta has launched a legal challenge against Ofcom, the UK’s media regulator, to appeal against the watchdog’s move to place WhatsApp and Instagram in a category that subjects them to additional duties. Under the new obligations established by the Online Safety Act, the tech giant must implement measures to protect users from fraudulent advertising and illegal content on the platforms. “Like many others in the industry, including TikTok, Roblox, X and Quora, we are challenging specific aspects of implementation,” said a Meta spokesperson. “These are not challenges to the law itself, but how Ofcom has interpreted it. This is a normal feature of any new regulatory regime being bedded in and ensures questions of process, scope and implementation get settled so the law is applied proportionately, accurately and consistently.”

Germany’s AGF to Combine HbbTV Return-Channel Data with Measurement Panel

AGF Videoforschung, the German TV measurement body, is to integrate HbbTV-based return-channel data into its national audience measurement system, according to Broadband TV News, as part of an overhaul of AGF’s research system that is scheduled to enter operation from 2028. By combining its representative panel measurement with anonymised usage data collected directly from CTV devices, AGF aims to improve the representation of fragmented viewing environments, particularly for smaller offerings and niche target groups. The data is currently modelled on more than 1.7 million devices with actual measured usage, and will be expanded to cover around 3.4 million measured devices.

Spotify Expands Partner Program in Video Push

Spotify is expanding its podcast monetisation program to more than 35 additional countries, including Brazil, Mexico, Spain, Italy, Poland and Colombia. The program enables qualifying creators to earn money through subscription and ad revenue sharing, while keeping 100 percent of the revenue they generate from their own sponsorship arrangements. The Partner Program is also geared towards creators producing video, compensating them through Premium video revenue while serving Premium subscribers with an uninterrupted viewing experience.

Scope3 Becomes Apostra in AI Pivot

Scope3, the company founded in 2022 to measure carbon emissions in advertising supply chains, has announced it is rebranding to ‘Apostra’, reflecting its AI pivot. CEO Brian O’Kelley told Adweek that Apostra’s agentic platform already handles automated media buys for some “very large” brands across markets including the US, UK, Brazil and France, totalling around $1.2 million over the last three months. O’Kelley also responded to accusations of hypocrisy in pivoting the company away from sustainability and into AI, given the environmental impact of the technology. “Do you think that that might be holding me to a double standard versus every single other person who uses AI? Just because I tried to solve a problem,” he said. “The ‘Haha, Brian O’Kelley failed when he tried to do something good for the world,’ really is getting tiresome.”

Nexxen Launches TV Home Screen Buying Across EMEA

Nexxen, a CTV ad tech business, has launched its Nexxen TV Home Screen offering across EMEA, enabling advertisers and agencies to programmatically activate native Smart TV inventory on VIDAA-powered TVs through Nexxen DSP. The company said agencies including PHD EMEA are already using the solution for clients such as Uber Eats. “Through Nexxen TV Home Screen, clients like Uber Eats have been able to place their brands at the centre of the living room experience with premium, high-impact placements that deliver scale and visibility during major cultural moments,” said Shakeel Abrahams, Digital Planning Director, PHD EMEA.

Mediaocean Announces Investment Arm for Scaling AI Startups

Mediaocean, an omnichannel advertising business, has launched Mediaocean AI Ventures, an investment vehicle for scaling AI-based advertising startups. Backed by CVC Capital Partners, TA Associates and Eterna Growth Partners, Mediaocean AI Ventures is “designed to help the next generation of AI companies achieve global scale”, according to the company. “Some of the most transformative companies in advertising will be built in the next few years,” said Mediaocean CEO Bill Wise. “We want to find those companies early and give them something far more valuable than capital alone – a path to scale. Mediaocean AI Ventures is about combining the speed and innovation of startups with the reach, infrastructure, and AI ecosystem of Mediaocean to help build the next generation of advertising technology.”

Azerion Combines SSP and Monetisation Services in New Publisher Suite

Azerion, an omnichannel ad tech firm, has launched a unified publisher suite, bringing together its supply-side technology and monetisation services into a single solution for publishers. The ‘Improve Digital’ suite replaces previously separate offerings with one connected platform, available through two complementary products, namely Improve Digital SSP and Improve Digital Yield. “With the launch of the unified publisher proposition we send a clear signal to the market, Azerion is the place to be as a publisher,” said Jurriaan van Teunenbroek, Chief Publishing Officer at Azerion. “With all solutions under one umbrella, including SSP, yield optimisation and other publishing services like multi cloud, we offer a unique and competitive proposition designed to make the lives of publishers better and more profitable.”

51Degrees Announces Privacy-First Identifier

51Degrees, a precision data and technology company, is launching a new digital advertising identifier designed to enable privacy-forward interoperability across the digital advertising supply chain. The company said the 51Did promises to enhance consumer privacy, create a more efficient digital advertising supply chain, and allow Open Web businesses to compete with the platforms on a level playing field. The identifier will be available for free for the first 12 months.

On Device Brings Brand Lift Studies to Index Exchange

On Device, a measurement firm, has partnered with Index Exchange to make brand lift studies available through Index Marketplaces, the sell-side platform’s (SSP) curated marketplace. Index customers in EMEA and APAC will be able to commission independent studies that measure the impact of their campaigns based on On Device’s passive measurement technology. “Advertisers increasingly need measurement they can trust to understand what’s genuinely driving campaign effectiveness,” said Sarah Robson, Global Head of Advertising Effectiveness at On Device. “Our partnership with Index Exchange makes independent, high-quality brand lift measurement more accessible, helping advertisers connect media investment to real brand outcomes and use those insights to make smarter decisions moving forward.”

DAIVID Launches Solution to Analyse Creative Impact on Outcomes

DAIVID, a creative optimisation company, has launched a new solution designed to analyse “thousands of ads at once” and provide insights into the creative elements that drive campaign outcomes. Creative Audit uses DAIVID’s AI-powered technology to analyse up to 5,000 creative assets at once, assessing attention, emotion, brand recall, consideration and purchase intent. These signals are then correlated with outcome data, including media performance, social engagement, brand lift and sales, to identify the creative characteristics associated with stronger results, according to the business.

The Week in TV

MFE Plays to TV’s Strengths with Cross-European Simultaneous Reach Ad Format

On Wednesday MFE Advertising, MFE’s international ad sales house, announced the launch of ALL21 Total Video Europe, a cross-country advertising solution. The offering is designed to deliver simultaneous reach across linear TV and premium digital video environments in Italy, Spain and Germany, through a single campaign. The ALL21 format creates a unique burst of mass simultaneous reach for a specific spot, by playing the same ad (or ads) during a 60 second break synchronised across channels (at 21:00, hence the name). Read more on VideoWeek.

Paramount Settles US Lawsuit to Clear WBD Acquisition

Paramount Skydance has settled its lawsuit with a dozen US states, clearing the path for its $110 billion acquisition of Warner Bros Discovery (WBD), which is expected to close in around two weeks. Under the agreement, Paramount must produce at least 30 films each year, ensuring that a certain percentage are made in the US, or face penalties including selling off parts of its business. California’s attorney general Rob Bonta said that Paramount must also “establish a news editorial independence board to support CBS News and CNN’s continued editorial independence to ensure independent, objective, fact-based reporting at CBS News and at CNN”.

Seven.One Media Adds Data Partners for Targeting Campaigns on Joyn

Seven.One Media, ProSiebenSat.1’s sales house, has announced new data partnerships designed to enhance targeting of ad campaigns on the Joyn streaming service. The new data partners include the online platform kleinanzeigen, consumer data provider GEMINI DIRECT, and global commerce intelligence company Criteo. “By combining our own data, such as from Joyn, with high-quality retail and partner data, we’re significantly expanding our capabilities for data-driven campaigns on the big screen and in our premium environments,” said Markus Messerer, Chief Operating Officer & Managing Director at Seven.One Media.

Paramount Brings Live and On-Demand Content Together on Pluto TV

Pluto TV, the Paramount-owned free AVOD service, is redesigning the streaming app to combine live and on-demand content within the user interface (UI). The redesign is built on a shared technology foundation with the Paramount+ SVOD service, marking an “important step in Paramount’s convergence strategy,” according to Paramount. “For advertisers, registration and stronger first-party signals can support a deeper understanding of audiences and more relevant advertising,” the company said in the announcement. “For content partners, improved discovery creates more opportunities for programming to reach the right viewers across live and on-demand environments.”

RTL Deutschland and Sky Deutschland to Cut 500 Jobs

RTL Deutschland and Sky Deutschland are set to cut around 500 jobs by the end of 2027, RTL confirmed this week, as part of the merger between German broadcasters. RTL Group is aiming to generate annual synergies of €250 million within three years following the acquisition. “The largest part of this comes from optimising content and non-content costs,” RTL said in a statement. “In addition, duplicate structures will be eliminated, responsibilities bundled and more efficient and future-oriented decision-making processes created.”

Disney Rolls Out Playlists and Expands Ad Tier

Disney+ has announced the global roll-out of a new Playlists feature, bringing together themed collections of episodes and movies into a continuous viewing experience, curated by genre, franchise, character or mood. Also this week, Disney+ announced it will launch an ad-supported subscription plan in Austria and Poland in November. Meanwhile in the US, Disney is upping the streaming service’s price by 13 percent, according to Bloomberg.

France Télévisions Targets Further 19 Percent Carbon Footprint Reduction

France Télévisions, France’s public service broadcaster (PSB), is targeting a further 19 percent reduction in carbon emissions between 2025 and 2031, under a new ecological transition plan published on Tuesday. The PSB has already cut its carbon footprint by 11 percent since 2021, according to the broadcaster. While acknowledging that some 62 percent of emissions are outside the company’s control, including the energy used by TVs, smartphones and tablets, the company is focused on emissions associated with France Télévisions’ core activities, which account for around one one-third of the total.

TF1 PUB Launches Full-Screen Ad Format on TF1+ Login Page

TF1 PUB, TF1’s sales house, has launched the ‘Profile Wall’ ad format on the TF1+ streaming service. Profile Wall is integrated into the TF1+ multi-profile login page on CTV devices, providing a full-screen placement at the moment the user accesses the streaming service. FWD and Havas Play have deployed the inaugural placement for Maison Parfums Christian Dior.

The Week for Publishers

MGM Considers Bid for People Inc.

Hotel and casino group MGM Resorts is considering making a bid for media group People Inc., the Wall Street Journal reported this week, shortly after People Inc. itself withdrew its own bid to buy MGM. People already owns a 27 percent stake in MGM Resorts, and had been sizing up a full takeover, framed by chairman Barry Diller as a form of hedged diversification. A proposal could be submitted in the coming days, according to the WSJ.

Hearst UK Returns to Revenue Growth

Magazine business Hearst UK returned to revenue growth in 2025, bucking the trend of the previous three years, according to accounts filed by its parent company The National Magazine Company. Digital advertising delivered double-digit growth for the business, which the group said was supported by partnerships and a rebound in audience across most of its brands. Print revenues also rose for the second year running, as print income overall remained resilient.

Axios Targets AI Deals with Axios Direct Product

American digital media business Axios is launching Axios Direct, Digiday reported this week, a new product which will deliver Axios’ reporting via content feeds to paying customers. Speaking at the Digiday Publishing Summit, Axios chief revenue officer Jacquelyn Cameron outlined three feeds for Axios Direct. The first is akin to Bloomberg’s terminal, according to Digiday, instantly delivering Axios updates to relevant customers. The second will be designed for AI models to easily ingest Axios’s content, while the third will enable individual subscribers to receive Axios’s reporting via their own AI agents.

News UK Sees Spike in Bot Traffic

News publisher News UK has seen a spike in bot traffic recently, with non-human activity making up a fifth of total News UK traffic in the past six months, Press Gazette reported this week. Speaking at the Gazette’s Future of Media Technology conference, News UK’s chief technology officer Tom Jackson said the company has changed how it filters bot traffic. Previously, the company used a block list which specifically targeted AI scrapers, whereas now it’s switched to an allow list which only lets through specified bots.

Digitalbox Targets Growth Through Creator Network

Digital publishing group Digitalbox, which owns titles including The Daily Mash and The Tab, is leaning on video and creator content to drive growth, Yahoo reported this week. The company has launched the Digitalbox Creator Network, which spans several of its titles and pays more than 200 creators to produce roughly 500 original videos per month by October. Yahoo reports the company hopes its creator network will open up new opportunities for direct deals with advertisers.

The Week for Brands & Agencies

Publicis Media Tops COMvergence H1 New Business Rankings

French holding company Publicis Groupe’s media arm topped global research firm COMvergence’s H1 new business ranking, with $3.24 billion of total new business value (which combines wins and retentions, with losses subtracted). Omnicom Media and WPP Media both also claimed wins from the results though. Omnicom Media had the highest total win value at $3.3 billion, while WPP Media ranked first for combined wins and retentions at $5.3 billion.

WPP CFO Joanne Wilson Departs

British agency group WPP has announced that its current CFO Joanne Wilson will depart the company, and will be taking the CFO slot at drinks maker Diageo. Wilson will remain at WPP while a successor is appointed, and a formal search process has been kicked off by the board. “I am incredibly proud of all we have achieved,” said Wilson, who took the role in 2023. “We have built firm foundations in the first phase of Elevate28 to successfully deliver against WPP’s strategy.”

The Industry Needs More Strategic Thinkers, finds WFA Report

A new report from advertiser trade group the WFA and marketing advisory Mediasense found that strategic thinking skills — such as setting direction, prioritising investments, and making commercial trade-offs — are becoming even more crucial as AI’s role in advertising workflows grows. Marketers surveyed by the WFA and Mediasense ranked strategic judgement as the second most important future capability, behind AI fluency. The issue is, strategic thinkers are currently in short supply. Read more on VideoWeek.

UK Digital Advertising Could Contribute £242 Billion to Economy by 2035

A new report from research consultancy Public First, commissioned by IAB UK, forecasts that Britain’s digital advertising sector could contribute £242 billion to the British economy by 2035, creating an additional 1.2 million jobs in the process. Digital advertising already contributes £175 billion to the UK economy, according to the report, and this figure could be set to rise rapidly as AI fuels further growth. The report advises that a policy environment that supports innovation, investment, and skills will be necessary in order to realise this potential.

Efficiency Remains Primary Method for Judging AI Performance

A new survey from IAB Europe suggests that pure operational efficiency remains the most common metric through which businesses across the industry are judging their AI investments. IAB Europe’s 2026 Impact of AI on Digital Advertising Report found that, unsurprisingly, total adoption is high. Ninety-two percent of those surveyed said their businesses already use AI tools internally, while 86 percent reported using AI specifically in marketing processes. And sixty-nine percent of those who answered the question said that operational efficiency is used to evaluate AI tools, the most common answer. Read more on VideoWeek.

Stitchy London and Vector Media Join IPA

British trade group the Institute of Practitioners in Advertising (IPA) has announced that two new members — Stitchy London and Vector Media — were elected into its membership at its quarterly council meeting last week. “I am delighted to welcome Stitchy London and Vector Media into IPA membership,” said IPA director of membership Tom Mott. “They will be fantastic additions to our wide-ranging community of agencies of different shapes, sizes and specialisms around the UK and we look forward to working with them over the coming months.”

Hires of the Week

Sonia Cerreno Named IAB Europe CEO

IAB Europe, a European trade association for digital marketing and advertising, has appointed Sonia Carreno as CEO elect, succeeding Townsend Feehan later this year. As President of IAB Canada since 2015, Carreno built and scaled the trade body’s standardisation and policy function, deepening engagement with national stakeholders on critical issues affecting advertising regulation, according to IAB Europe.

Thinbox Appoints Chris Dunne as Marketing Director

Thinkbox, a UK TV marketing body, has announced Chris Dunne as Marketing Director, following Andrew MacGillivray’s decision to step down at the end of the year. Currently serving as joint Head of Marketing, Dunne will also join the Thinkbox board. He has announced his decision to step down as CEO of LGBTQIA+ advocacy group Outvertising after two and a half years in the role.

EBU Names Corinne Destoop CFO

The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) has named Corinne Destoop as Chief Financial Officer (CFO). Formerly Deputy Head of Finance, Destoop will take over from outgoing CFO Emmanuel Frantz in January 2027. She brings 27 years of international experience in financial management, including six years as a Financial Controller at Nestlé Nespresso.

TubeScience Hires tvScientific’s Brad Murphy

TubeScience, a performance creative company, has hired Brad Murphy as President of Brand Direct Sales. His appointment follows more than a decade of growth for the business, according to TubeScience, as it pursues its next phase of growth with DTC and enterprise advertisers. Murphy joins from tvScientific, where he served as Vice President and Head of Sales.