Week in Review: UK “Minded to Intervene” in ITV/Sky Deal, BBC News Goes Live on YouTube, and Ad Firm Accused of Spying

October 16, 2026

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In this week’s Week in Review: the UK looks likely to intervene in ITV/Sky deal, BBC News launches live on YouTube, and a digital ad business is accused of running a spying operation.

The Week in Tech

Norway Fines Microsoft’s Xandr $9.6 Million for Sharing Grindr User Data

Norway’s data protection authority has fined Xandr, Microsoft’s ad tech unit, 92 million Norwegian kroner ($9.61 million) for unlawfully relaying Grindr user data to “thousands of advertisers”, according to Reuters. The regulator said the data from the LGBTQIA+ dating app revealed the sexual orientation of its users in automated ad auctions, running between July 2018 and April 2020. Microsoft argued that the incident predates its acquisition of Xandr in 2022, “and in that time the interpretation and application of legal standards and practices has continued to evolve,” adding that the company is now assessing its options in the case.

Ofcom Has “Ongoing Concerns” Around X’s Action on Hate and Terror Content

Ofcom has found improvements in X’s reporting mechanisms for hate and terror content on the social media service, but has “ongoing concerns” following the company’s first quarterly report to the UK media watchdog. In May, the Elon Musk-owned business committed to reviewing suspected illegal terrorist and hate content reported through its dedicated UK illegal content reporting tool within an average of 24 hours. After assessing the latest data, the regulator found “some improvements” in the average time it takes X to act on these reports. “We have ongoing concerns, however, around the effectiveness of X’s response to taking down illegal hate and terror content, and we have received mixed reports around the sustained delivery of X’s commitment to engage with third-party experts,” said Ofcom. The watchdog added that it will “continue to engage with X as a matter of priority regarding its content moderation outcomes.”

Magnite Extends LG Ad Solutions Partnership with Agentic Home Screen Buying

Magnite, a sell-side ad tech business, has announced a three-year extension of its partnership with LG Ad Solutions. The partnership sees Magnite’s SpringServe continuing as LG Ad Solutions’ exclusive CTV video ad server, and Magnite as a preferred programmatic partner across North America, APAC and EMEA. LG Ad Solutions is also making its Home Screen inventory available for agentic buying through Magnite’s Seller Agent. “Expanding our partnership with Magnite makes it easier for advertisers to buy the Home Screen through new, more automated ways of working,” said Kelly McMahon, EVP, Global Operations at LG Ad Solutions.

Wurl Launches Content Intelligence Platform for Contextual Targeting

Wurl, a CTV ad tech company, has launched its Content Intelligence Platform, a new solution designed to help demand-side platforms (DSPs) scale advanced targeting across CTV. The offering creates a direct connection between streaming content intelligence and programmatic demand, according to the business, by applying contextual signals to streaming inventory before the bid request reaches the DSP. “Advanced contextual targeting already exists,” said Ria Madrid, Vice President, Global Advertising at Wurl. “What’s been missing in CTV is the footprint to make it truly impactful. By bringing richer signals to significantly more streaming inventory, we’re giving DSPs the ability to get more from the investments they’ve already made, while helping advertisers reach highly engaged audiences in the moments where their messaging can have the greatest impact.”

The Trade Desk Makes Pause Ads on HBO Max and Discovery+ Available in Italy

The Trade Desk has announced the availability of Skydance Pause Ads on HBO Max and discovery+ in Italy, following the merger of Paramount Skydance and Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD). At launch, the pause ad format is available via Programmatic Guaranteed exclusively through The Trade Desk, according to the ad tech company. “Pause ad is one the most successful and appreciated formats by our clients on HBO Max and discovery+ as it offers an impactful and seamlessly integrated ad experience when a viewer decides to take a break,” said Luca Nicoli, VP EMEA ad-supported services at Skydance.

Tesco Media and Kevel Partner on New Ad Manager

Tesco Media has announced a new partnership with Kevel, an API-first ad infrastructure provider, to power Tesco Media Ad Manager, a new client-facing platform for planning, booking and measuring ads across its digital channels. The company said the Ad Manager enables “more relevant audience targeting and greater flexibility” across formats, including sponsored product listings, shoppable display and video, as well as advertising within Scan As You Shop. “Retail media works best when it creates value for customers as well as advertisers,” said Stacy Gratz, Revenue and Growth Director at Tesco Media. “This partnership gives us greater flexibility to build advertising experiences around how our customers actually shop, while making it easier for brands to use Tesco’s scale and customer insights effectively.”

The Week in TV

Channel 4 Sales Announces Coordinated Sales Proposition Across Expanded Portfolio

Channel 4 Sales has announced a new advertising proposition called Instant Re4ch, delivering coordinated access to premium inventory across the sales house’s portfolio. The company said the offering guarantees peak spots across Channel 4, Paramount, UKTV and Narrative’s linear channels on the same evening, alongside 48 hour ‘boost’ campaigns across Channel 4, Paramount and UKTV streaming platforms. Channel 4 Sales called the move the “latest step” in efforts to simplify advertising across its portfolio, following last month’s announcement that the sales house will become the exclusive sales partner for Paramount brands in the UK next year.

Netflix Plans Layoffs and Replaces Chief Content Officer

Netflix is cutting approximately 1,000 jobs in response to share price declines and mounting pressure to boost engagement, the FT reported on Wednesday. The job cuts mark the streaming giant’s largest lay-off in four years, affecting around six percent of its global staff across product, technology, legal and human resources divisions. On Thursday, Netflix announced it has replaced Bela Bajaria, Chief Content Officer, with Hollywood veteran Peter Rice, formerly President of 21st Century Fox and Chairman of Walt Disney Television.

Rakuten TV Brings FAST Services to Enterprise Customers Outside Europe

Rakuten TV is expanding its FAST services for enterprise customers into the US, Middle East and Japan, the streaming company announced this week at MIPCOM. The service is designed to help content owners, distributors and other industry partners launch, manage and monetise FAST channels and content-focused video apps, according to the company, marking the first time Rakuten TV has extended its footprint beyond Europe. “Expanding Rakuten TV into the US, Middle East and Japan through our enterprise offerings marks a significant new chapter for the business, as we bring our streaming expertise, technology and infrastructure to new markets around the world,” said Cédric Dufour, CEO and President at Rakuten TV.

Netflix Scores FIFA World Cup Rights in Spain and Andorra

Netflix has secured exclusive FIFA World Cup 2030 rights in Spain and Andorra, the streaming company announced on Tuesday. Netflix will broadcast every match, along with pregame, halftime and postgame shows, a daily roundup show on match days, and additional programming in the tournament lead-up. The announcement continues Netflix’s push into live sports, adding to its roster of NFL and MLB events.

Channel 4 Announces First Branded Microdrama in Latest Digital Push

This week UK broadcaster Channel 4 announced its next step in digital programming, and its first foray into the world of vertical short-form scripted content, AKA microdramas. The Guest List is a five-part microdrama series that will be available on Channel 4’s Meta, TikTok and YouTube channels from 24th October. The series is produced by curly media, a social-first creative agency, in partnership with skincare and fragrance brand Sol de Janeiro, in a deal brokered by Zenith UK. The drama “will dip into the lives of a friendship group of four women in their twenties and their relatable, aspirational stories,” according to Channel 4, with each character drawing inspiration from Sol de Janeiro’s Intense Mist fragrance range. Read more on VideoWeek.

CNN Brings All Access Subscription Service to UK and Canada

CNN is expanding its All Access subscription to the UK and Canada on 20th October, allowing paying subscribers to stream a selection of live channels and exclusive video content. The subscription will be available across web and select mobile and CTV apps, according to the TV news network. “Following the enthusiastic reception of this offering in the US, expanding first to the UK and Canada has been our top international expansion priorities as we continue to invest in and grow our direct-to-consumer business,” said CNN Worldwide COO Alex MacCallum.

BBC Studios Launches Four FAST Channels on Samsung TV Plus

BBC Studios is launching four free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) channels across 11 European markets on Samsung TV Plus, the companies announced on Monday. BBC Lifestyle will launch on the FAST service in Spain, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Denmark, the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg; BBC History and BBC Food will be available in Spain; and a dedicated EastEnders channel will launch in Benelux. “This is exactly the calibre of partnership that supports our European growth strategy by combining recognised programming with line-ups tailored to individual markets,” said Chris Gregory, Head of Content Development at Samsung TV Plus EMEA.

The Week for Publishers

Reach Sees Continued Steep Revenue Impact as Google Referrals Drop

UK news group Reach posted a Q3 trading update this week, showing that total revenue dropped by 14.1 percent during the quarter, while digital revenues were down by 20.3 percent. The company attributed the fall to ongoing declines in referrals from Google, as the tech giant’s integration of AI tools into its search engine continues to impact publisher traffic. “We are making strategic progress in an evolving digital landscape with a focus on original content, distinctive brands, and revenue diversification,” said CEO Piers North.

Major Publishers Join SPUR Coalition

Over 40 major media organisations including the New York Times, The Economist, The Atlantic, and Agence France-Presse have all signed up to the SPUR coalition, a publisher alliance working to create a fair market for use of copyrighted content in AI systems. The additions have roughly doubled SPUR’s membership to over 80, across 20 countries globally. “As AI transforms every aspect of the global media market, maintaining the principles and integrity of original journalism requires stakeholders to come together and establish clear, industry-wide rules of engagement,” said David Buttle, co-founder and spokesperson for the SPUR coalition.

Publisher Executives Call on UK Government to Back AI Transparency Bill

Executives from a number of major news media organisations including Guardian Media Group, The Times, The Sun, the Daily Mail, the Telegraph, the Financial Times and the Daily Express have signed a letter calling on the UK government to back a bill which would force bots to identify themselves when they try to access websites. Without knowing who operates a bot and why it’s accessing a website, it’s hard for publishers to block unwanted AI scrapers. The letter, published in The Times, urges the government to support Damian Hinds MP’s Automated Online Software (Access and Transparency) Bill, or to introduce equivalent provisions in this parliamentary session.

Four Hundred Publishers Join Google’s News AI Pilot Programme

Google announced this week that more than 400 publishers worldwide have signed up to its News AI pilot programme, a licensing programme through which Google pays media companies for access to their content, while also developing AI-enhanced content formats with those same publishers. Global outlets Axios, CNN, the Financial Times, and Forbes have all joined the programme according to Google, while the UK’s Reach separately announced it has signed up to the pilot.

Goalhanger Launches Creator Arm Goalhanger X

Digital media business Goalhanger, best known for its portfolio of popular podcasts, this week launched Goalhanger X, a new arm which it says will build media ecosystems around creators. The first such media venture is Always On with Marina Hyde, which will house editorial, social, and video content created by the ex-Guardian columnist, with plans to expand into new formats in the future. Goalhanger X will help creators develop formats, build audiences, grow membership products, and create scaled commercial partnerships, according to Goalhanger.

USA Today Sues OpenAI

American publishing group USA Today became the latest media group to sue OpenAI this week, accusing the AI business of using copyrighted news content to train ChatGPT, OpenAI’s AI-powered chatbot. The group says that OpenAI used material scraped from across the internet without permission, including articles behind paywalls, to train its AI tools. USA Today claims that OpenAI’s internal communications suggest the company intended for ChatGPT to reproduce content which had been scraped. The group is seeking more than $250 million in damages.

Metro Plans Job Cuts

British free daily newspaper Metro is planning to cut 61 jobs, Press Gazette reported this week, amid ongoing financial challenges for the business. An internal memo last month which said a staff review was taking place stated that the newspaper’s current structure is “no longer aligned with the economic realities of our market”, and that job cuts would help return the business to sustainable footing.

The Week for Brands & Agencies

Publicis Posts Five Percent Q3 Revenue Growth

French agency group Publicis was the first of the big holding groups to post its Q3 earnings this week, reporting five percent net revenue organic growth year-on-year. The group confirmed its full year guidance of between 4.5-5 percent organic growth, and stated it is confident it will continue to outperform the market next year. On an earnings call following the results, CEO Arthur Sadoun said that the merger of rival groups Omnicom and IPG has changed the competitive landscape for the better, and created circumstances where brands are more frequently appointing agency partners without running formal pitch processes. Read more on VideoWeek.

IPA Bellwether Sees Growth Across All Marketing Categories in Q3

As the UK advertising industry awaits the government’s autumn budget, the latest IPA Bellwether Report suggests economic optimism is returning to the sector, following a rocky few quarters for marketing growth. Overall, the net balance of marketers increasing their budgets reached +14.3 percent. The net balance is derived from the proportion of marketers who increased their budgets during the quarter (25.6 percent), minus those that decreased their budgets (11.3 percent). This marks the highest increase since Q2 2024, reflecting “a more supportive wider economic backdrop,” according to the report. Read more on VideoWeek.

Havas Records 2.4 Percent Organic Growth in Q3

French marketing group Havas reported its Q3 earnings on Wednesday, reporting organic net revenue growth of 2.4 percent year-on-year, and total net revenue growth of 7.2 percent. The company attributed its performance to a solid quarter for both its creative and media divisions, while its health specialist arm was negatively affected by low launch volume in the US. “We remain firmly focused on our strategic priorities: advancing the deployment of our Converged.AI Operating System, investing responsibly in AI and preparing our talent for the continued transformation of our industry,” said CEO and chairman Yannick Bolloré.

PepsiCo Plans to Ramp Up Ad Spending Following Publicis Appointment

PepsiCo CEO and chairman Ramon Laguarta said on an earnings call this week that the company will be increasing its spend on advertising and marketing, following the appointment of Publicis as its global media partner. Laguarta suggested that the Publicis partnership will enable more effective marketing, increasing the quality and quantity of PepsiCo’s advertising and marketing investment. “As we go into this partnership, we will be able to invest with much more data, much more granularity, understand consumers, and be able to talk to consumers in a different way,” he said.

Stagwell Seals ServiceNow Partnership

Challenger marketing group Stagwell this week announced its largest ever multi-agency deal with AI platform ServiceNow, a two-way partnership that will see the companies work together to build, activate, and measure marketing campaigns. As part of the deal, ServiceNow’s platform will be adopted across Stagwell’s organisation, according to Adweek, a setup which Stagwell CEO Mark Penn described as a “win-win”.

Omnicom Media and Vevo Launch New Brand Fandom Metric

US-based media group Omnicom Media and music video network Vevo have together launched a new ‘brand fandom’ metric, which they say measures the strength of consumers’ emotional connection to a brand through four behaviours and perceptions: their intent to talk about the brand, whether they see it as standing out from competitors, whether they are proud to own or buy it, and their intent to recommend it to others. Based on research around the power of fandom, the new metric is designed to help brands measure the value of fandom, and create strategies which convert audiences’ existing interests into brand fandom.

Hires of the Week

WPP Promotes Adam Gerhart to Global Chief Client Officer

WPP has promoted Adam Gerhart to Global Chief Client Officer, where he will lead the holdco’s key global client relationships and oversee its network of Global Client Leaders. He will also join WPP’s Executive Committee. Gerhart has been with WPP for more than 20 years, becoming Global CEO at Mindshare in 2021, and Global Chief Client Officer at WPP Media in 2025.

Channel 4 Appoints Mary Basterfield as CFO

Channel 4 has named Mary Basterfield as Chief Financial Officer, becoming an Executive Committee member and joining the Channel 4 Board. As CFO, Basterfield will partner with Chief Executive Priya Dogra and the Board to help deliver the next phase of Channel 4’s transformation, according to the UK broadcaster. She has previously served as CFO at S4 Capital, UKTV, Expedia and Warner Music Group.