The MadTech Podcast

In today's MadTech Daily, we discuss the IAB launching a faster ad auction protocol, NBCUniversal preparing to debut its new NBC Sports Network, and Alibaba rolling out an AI tool to streamline sourcing.

On this week's podcast, Samara Hocihara of the Telegraph joins John Still and Rachel Smith to discuss AI litigation, Reddit's big moment and the new Browser Wars. *Check out the winners from The Wires Awards 2025*

In today's MadTech Daily, we cover the EU planning a new probe into Google over news rankings, Tencent's profit jumping 19% on AI gains, and 58% of UK households holding fewer than three streaming services.

In this special episode of the MadTech Podcast, ExchangeWire CEO Rachel Smith is joined by Bastiaan Spaans, Chief Commercial Officer at digitalAudience, and Remco Steen, Manager of Advertising Technology at Mediahuis Netherlands, to discuss their companies' latest partnership. They look at data distribution and collaboration between publishers, brands, and agencies, tools like data clean rooms, and how publishers are experimenting with their monetisation strategy. 

In today's MadTech Daily, we look at the latest announcements from ITV's Palooza event, Reddit reeling in advertisers with the launch of a new ad format, plus Microsoft making its behavioural analytics tool mandatory for publishers.  

In this special episode of the MadTech Podcast, ExchangeWire's head of content John Still is joined by Nikki Bhargava, partner at Reed Smith LLP, to discuss the convergence between privacy and ad tech in the US. They look at the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) and the AB566 bill recently signed by governor Gavin Newsom, and what the implementation of opt-out preference signals might look like for both businesses and consumers.

In today's MadTech Daily, we look at Trump threatening a USD$1bn lawsuit against the BBC over the editing of a Panorama broadcast, TikTok and iHeartMedia launching a podcast network to tap the creator economy, and Netflix eyeing original video podcasts. We also discuss Wikipedia urging AI developers to use its content responsibly.

In today's MadTech Daily, we cover Amazon expanding its global reach with a low-cost Bazaar app, OpenAI proposing teen safety standards amid rising scrutiny, and the Daily Mail seeing its traffic disrupted. 

In today's MadTech Daily, we cover Comcast looking to buy ITV's broadcast arm for £2bn, Apple nearing a USD$1bn deal to power a Siri overhaul with Google's Gemini AI, and the EU weakening its landmark AI Act amid Big Tech pressure.

In this MadTech Podcast team episode, ExchangeWire editor Aimee Newell Tarín is joined by co-founder & CEO Rachel Smith and COO Lindsay Rowntree. They look at UK broadcasters' appeal to the government to stamp out big tech's anticompetitive practices, WPP's partnership with analytics firm Sightly, and the DSP wars between Amazon, Google, and The Trade Desk. They also discuss AI regulation in journalism and publishing, the modularisation of ad tech, and parallels between the DSP wars and the Chinese economy.

In today's MadTech Daily, we discuss documents revealing Meta's profits from scam ads, Netflix entering its third year of ads with an eye on the future, and Snap soars surging after a USD$400m Perplexity AI deal.

Today, we look at Amazon suing Perplexity over its AI shopping assistant, Epic and Google settling their lawsuit, and People Inc. signing an AI deal with Microsoft. 

In today's MadTech Daily, Dot discusses Amazon Ads expanding its sports streaming inventory, Getty and Perplexity inking a multi-year deal to power AI search visuals, as well as Sky, BBC, and ITN urging a crackdown on Big Tech.

In today's MadTech Daily, we discuss tech giants stepping up efforts to fix AI security flaws; Alibaba investing USD$281m to expand Taobao stores; and the global TV and video market on track to hit USD$1tn by 2030.

In today's MadTech Daily, look at Netflix eyeing a Warner Bros. Discovery acquisition, the IAB unveiling a framework to standardise conversion APIs for CTV, and ABC and ESPN being pulled from YouTube TV ahead of their deal expiry.

In this MadTech Podcast team episode, ExchangeWire head of marketing Grainne Reid is joined by head of content John Still and COO Lindsay Rowntree. They look at Apple Maps moving towards ad monetisation, Comcast making their linear TV inventory available programmatically for advertisers, and the launch of the new Ad Context Protocol (AdCP). They discuss Apple's and Google's relationships with long tail businesses, the state of the TV landscape for media buyers, and the adoption of ad tech industry standards.

In today's MadTech Daily, we cover Bending Spoons acquiring AOL for $1.5bn, WPP's new CEO issuing a profit warning, and Meta's ad revenue jumping 26% in Q3. 

In today's Digest, we cover the latest ad spend forecast from the AA and WARC, Publicis buying HEPMIL Media Group to boost its influencer marketing in Southeast Asia, and US senators pushing to ban teen use of AI chatbots.

In today's MadTech Daily: ChatGPT adds a PayPal wallet, Musk launches an AI encyclopedia, plus StarHub and Mediacorp team up to enhance the viewing experience for customers in Singapore

In today's MadTech Daily, we discuss Apple planning ads for Maps, X losing its advertising boss, and the EU's preliminary findings that Meta and TikTok broke transparency obligations.

In today's MadTech Daily, we look at WPP launching a self-serve version of its ad platform, Comcast bringing biddable and programmatic to its linear TV offering, and The Observer signing a deal to appear on AI news platform Particle. 

In this episode of the MadTech Podcast, ExchangeWire editor Aimee Newell Tarín is joined by head of content John Still and Charlotte Stavrou, founder & CEO of SevenSix Agency. They look into global ad spend figures from WARC, Meta implementing safeguards around AI character chatbots for children, and Instagram testing skippable ads in Reels.  They also discuss social media algorithms and the dominance of big platforms, the repercussions of AI on children, and the state of creator marketing.

On today's MadTech Daily, we cover Amazon introducing a service built for real-time bidding, Reddit targeting Perplexity with a data-related lawsuit, and Alibaba's Quark app launching an AI chatbot. 

In this MadTech Podcast special, ExchangeWire COO Lindsay Rowntree is joined by Curt Larson, Chief Innovation Officer at Equativ, to talk about how AI is changing the way people search, click, and advertise. Following a survey by Equativ on the effects of AI from a consumer perspective, they discuss how the surge in LLMs has influenced consumer needs and behaviour, what this means for advertisers and publishers, and the opportunities it presents for the ad tech industry. See the infographic at: https://www.equativ.com/research/infographic-the-ai-effect-new-habits-fewer-clicks-and-a-changing-ad-landscape

In today's MadTech Daily, we cover OpenAI launching the ChatGPT Atlas browser, Omnicom's revenue rising on ad strength, and Netflix expanding into interactive experiences as its shares fall on a Brazil tax hit.

In today's MadTech Daily, we discuss Google abandoning Privacy Sandbox, Warner Bros. Discovery putting itself up for sale, and Apple striking a USD$700m deal for F1 rights. 

In today's MadTech Daily, we discuss Meta testing skippable ads on Instagram Reels, AI and social media disrupting Wikipedia traffic, and Meta tightening AI chatbot controls for kids.

In today's Digest, we cover Meta pulling out of the MRC audit and forfeiting its brand safety seal, Havas eyeing Dentsu's global assets, and TikTok's algorithm licensing sparking concern in the US.

In this episode of the MadTech Podcast, ExchangeWire head of marketing Grainne Reid is joined by co-founder & CEO Rachel Smith and Daniel Sichel, managing director at Webtopia. They look into Google's strategic market status and the inclusion of AI search, TikTok's plans to cut 439 content moderation jobs in London, and Sharb Farjami's appointment at Reddit. They also discuss regulation in the ad tech ecosystem, the dangers of AI reliance in content moderation, and advertising opportunities in community-led environments.

In today's MadTech Daily, we discuss the ad industry unveiling the new AdCP standard for agentic AI, major publishers facing a wave of patent lawsuits, and Walmart teaming up with OpenAI for AI-first retail.

In today's MadTech Daily, we cover WPP striking a USD$400m AI deal with Google, Spotify partnering with Netflix on video podcasts, and Google offering search fixes as an EU fine looms.

In today's Digest, we cover Publicis raising its forecast again as AI fuels growth, California moving to govern AI chatbots, and the EU striking a compromise on sustainability reporting.

In today's Digest, Nine and Paramount-Ten's ad sales merger talks, Perplexity's decision to pause new ad sign-ups, and the European Commission's review of child safety on major platforms as UK MPs call to probe job cuts to TikTok's content moderation team.

In today's MadTech Daily, we cover the CMA designating Google strategic market status in search, India piloting AI chatbot-led e-commerce, and Reddit making a major Madison Avenue hire.

In this MadTech Podcast AI special, ExchangeWire editor Aimee Newell Tarín and COO Lindsay Rowntree are joined by Joris Knetsch, EVP at Prose on Pixels, APAC. They discuss the opt-out model in OpenAI's video generation platform, Sora, US concerns about Chinese DeepSeek models, and regulations in China's AI landscape. The conversation dives into IP and content rights, notions of privacy and accuracy in Asia and the West, and authentic versus synthetic content.

In today's MadTech Daily, we discuss ITV launching its GenAI Ads Manager, the UK ad regulator trialling AI monitoring, and New York City suing social media firms for allegedly addicting kids.

In today's MadTech Daily, we discuss IAB Europe opening public comment on new retail media standards, Ooh media unveiling its Metro Tunnel ad network, and California banning loud streaming ads.

In today's MadTech Daily, we cover Google's ad tech trial nearing a judge's decision, Amex and Duolingo launching ad platforms, and Mozilla partnering with Index Exchange.

In today's MadTech Daily, we discuss the EU rolling out an AI strategy to reduce foreign reliance, OpenAI giving content owners more control on Sora, and Instagram testing an iPad-style layout.

In today's MadTech Daily, we discuss a Dutch court ordering Meta to provide the users of its platforms with timelines that don't rely on profiling , Spotify joining Amazon DSP, and NBCUniversal andYouTube TV inking a deal to add Peacock and sports.

In this episode of the MadTech podcast, ExchangeWire head of marketing Grainne Reid is joined by co-founder & advisor Ciaran O'Kane and head of content John Still. They discuss the FTC's finalised ad rules for the Omnicon-IPG acquisition, OpenAI's ad tech growth, and Spotify's new policies to tackle the misuse of AI.

Today's MadTech Daily looks at Meta planning to use conversations people have with its chatbots to personalise ads on its platforms, OpenAI's plans to enter the social space, and a new order issued by the UK government for Apple's user data. 

In today's MadTech Daily, we cover Spotify's CEO exit bringing dual leadership, Epic saying Apple's install changes slash drop-offs, and The Trade Desk overhauling its digital ad data marketplace.

In today's MadTech Daily, we cover OpenAI rolling out Instant Checkout and Sora requiring a copyright opt-out. We also discuss Google settling the Trump Jan. 6 ban case for USD$24.5m and Havas and Horizon launching a USD$20bn media network.

In today's MadTech Daily, we cover a record-breaking deal closed by Electronic Arts, the FTC giving final approval to the Omnicom–IPG deal on the condition of certain ad rules as well as Anthropic tripling its global staff as AI demand surges.

Today, we look at Meta launching a UK ad-free subscription, Trump signing TikTok's transfer to US owners, and OpenAI planning an in-house ad tech build.

In this episode of the MadTech Podcast, ExchangeWire head of marketing Grainne Reid is joined by CEO Rachel Smith and Ellie McDonough, programmatic director at Dentsu.  They discuss how TikTok's US business could be impacted by investment from the Murdochs, how AI search is harming publishers, and UK broadcasters rejecting the idea that they should partner in order to take on the streaming giants.  (Since this podcast was recorded, Trump has signed an executive order stating the terms of a deal to transfer TikTok's US business to a US owner. Rupert Murdoch's investment has also been confirmed.) 

In today's MadTech Daily, Dot discusses Apple opposing the EU's regulations, Google taking its Epic case ruling to the Supreme Court, and Microsoft partnering with OpenAI rival, Anthropic. 

Today's MadTech Daily covers Novacap acquiring IAS for USD$1.9bn, Microsoft plotting an AI marketplace for publishers, and LinkedIn training AI on member profiles. It also discusses Canadian watchdogs concluding TikTok fails on child data protection. 

In today's MadTech Daily, we discuss double-digit growth ahead for digital adspend, Alibaba unveiling a multimodal AI, and eBay moving to buy Tise. 

In today's Madtech Daily, we discuss the Murdochs being tipped for the TikTok deal, ad giants shifting their climate stance, Google's ad tech monopoly trial kicking off, and Amazon facing a jury over Prime sign-ups.