NEW YORK—In a notable industry-wide effort to tackle the problem of fragmented and inconsistent campaign data, the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) has released its Campaign Data Standards 1.0 for public comment.

This is the first release out of Project Eidos, IAB’s broader initiative to modernize and streamline key elements of the digital advertising ecosystem. The comment period is open until June 14.

The proposed standards introduce a consistent, interoperable framework for structuring campaign data, addressing long-standing inefficiencies that limit the industry’s ability to measure, compare, and optimize performance at scale.

“Campaign data is an important element of modern advertising, but too often it’s fragmented and inconsistent across platforms, partners, and systems,” said Angelina Eng, vice president, measurement center, IAB. “Different naming conventions, misaligned classifications, and siloed datasets make it hard to reconcile data, slowing down reporting and pulling focus away from analysis and optimization. These standards are about creating a common language so the industry can move faster, reduce friction, and get to more meaningful insights.”

The IAB reported that the proposed standards provide:

• Standardized classifications for placements, formats, and media types
• Consistent required data fields to support measurement and reporting
• Greater alignment across platforms and partners to reduce reconciliation efforts

The IAB stressed that the framework is not a new platform, nor does it replace proprietary systems or mandate specific measurement approaches. Instead, it is designed to be flexible and interoperable, enabling adoption across existing workflows and technologies.

In announcing the release, the IAB also provided statements from agencies, publishers, brands, and media organizations that are already expressing support for the proposed standards and the role they can play in improving how campaign data is used across the ecosystem.

Those statements included:

• “The challenge is not collecting more data, it is making data consistent, usable, and actionable,” said Prabhpreet Sidhu, senior vice president of analytics, Publicis Commerce. “A shared campaign taxonomy can reduce the time teams spend on cleanup and reconciliation, allowing them to focus more on insights, optimization, and growth.”
• “Marketers face mounting pressure to justify results and allocate spend wisely, a challenge that becomes far more manageable when the underlying data is sound,” said Wendy Emerson, SVP Marketing Science, Butler/Till.
• “Every campaign ends up with its own version of the truth, and teams spend too much time trying to reconcile it,” said Rachel Mervis, Director Programmatic, Quigley-Simpson. “If this gives us a cleaner starting point with access to more data, that’s time we get back to actually improving performance.”
• “Project Eidos represents an important step forward for the industry, bringing greater transparency and trust while enabling advertisers and agencies to seamlessly connect planning, activation, and measurement in a way that truly reflects how media drives business outcomes across the marketing funnel." said Leah van Zelm, SVP Data Science Measurement & Insights, NBCU Advertising Products & Solutions. "When the ecosystem is aligned on a common structure, it becomes much easier to clearly demonstrate the value our inventory delivers and to have more straightforward, comparable conversations about media effectiveness across channels. This is exactly what’s needed for the next era of media effectiveness.”
• “A taxonomy standard of this nature is long overdue in our industry,” said Christy Loftus, SVP, Data Logistics, Canvas Worldwide. "Our teams are pulling data from so many different places just to understand what’s going on. This will bring more consistency without forcing a whole new system.”

The release of Campaign Data Standards 1.0 directly supports IAB’s mission to drive growth, trust, and innovation across the digital advertising ecosystem by advancing transparency, measurement, and ultimately marketing effectiveness, the group said.

Consistent and structured data is becoming increasingly important for approaches like attribution, incrementality, and media mix modeling. Without it, even the most advanced tools struggle to produce reliable, actionable insights.

IAB is inviting stakeholders across the ad tech ecosystem to review the proposed standards and provide feedback during the public comment period. Input is encouraged on real-world implementation, usability, gaps in classification, and alignment with existing systems. The public comment period will remain open through June 14, 2026, with a final version of the standards expected to be released by Q4 2026.

To review the Campaign Data Standards 1.0 and submit feedback, click here.

NEW YORK—The IAB has released new data showing record breaking levels of digital advertising, with particularly rapid growth in social media and digital video advertising in 2025.

The newly released 2025 Internet Advertising Revenue Report, conducted by PwC, shows that despite concerns about economic and geopolitical uncertainty, the industry drove record revenue, reaching $294.6 billion in 2025, reflecting a 13.9% year-over-year increase.

These results were particularly notable given that 2025 lacked major cyclical events such as the Olympics, FIFA World Cup, or elections, which historically drive increased ad spending across digital media.

“This revenue growth reflects a market that has reoriented around performance channels. As expectations for measurable outcomes rise, investment is concentrating in areas that can directly correlate spend to business results,” said David Cohen, CEO, IAB. “At the same time, artificial intelligence is rapidly moving from theory into practice, emerging as a meaningful driver of efficiency and effectiveness across the ecosystem.”

Growth by ad category included social media advertising ($117.7 billion, up 32.6%), digital video (78.0 billion up 32.6%), commerce media ($63.4 billion, up 18%), search ($114.2 billion, up 11%), podcast ($2.9 billion up 17.6%) display ($81.6 billion, up 9.8%).

The report noted that consumer behavior is continuing to shift toward video, creator-led content, and performance-driven environments, which is turn is reshaping where and how ad dollars are spent.

Video (including CTV, social video, online video, and short-form video) grew 25.4% YoY, to a total of $78 billion in revenue. Compared to a year ago (19.2%), this shows that video is still capturing a growing share of incremental digital advertising revenue relative to other formats.

Social media ad revenues in 2025 reached $117.7 billion, showing significant 32.6% YoY growth, or an increase of $29 billion. Growth is being driven by the scaling of the creator economy, deeper commerce integration, and continued performance improvements in targeting, measurement, and attribution.

Programmatic advertising rose 20.5% YoY to $162.4 billion, gaining $27.6 billion in new spend as automated buying scales and lays the groundwork for agentic AI-driven media buying.

Commerce media grew 18.0% YoY to $63.4 billion, reinforcing its role as a core performance channel powered by first-party data.

Those same usage patterns continue to drive consolidation, with the top 10 global media companies continue to hold the majority of internet advertising revenue share.

“While overall revenue is stronger than ever, consumer usage patterns have changed materially over the last year,” said Jack Koch, senior vice president Research & Insights at IAB. “The ability to integrate data, media, and commerce is becoming a defining advantage: companies that can provide seamless, personalized, and commerce-enabled experiences are where the attention and investment are moving.”

The report also stressed that the ad market is being transformed by three major structural shift.

For starters, AI is becoming advertising’s infrastructure layer. It is redefining discovery, creative production, execution, and monetization. Specifically, it will mean deeper first-party data, integrated commerce ecosystems, proprietary measurement infrastructure, and the ability to offer end-to-end buying. AI is redefining the entire value chain, including agent buying and selling, creative production, AI-driven commerce to both humans and agents, and more.

Search is still important, but growth is slowing. Search revenues (including AI search) continue to hold the largest share of revenue dollars, reaching $114.2 billion in 2025. While search grew 11% YoY, its growth rate slowed considerably vs. 2024 (15.9%).

Creator advertising is now a core media channel, leveraging always-on strategies. Creator advertising spend reached $37 billion in 2025. Creator is growing faster than the broader advertising market, with spending projected to reach $44 billion in 2026. Brands are embedding creators into long-term media strategies, operational workflows, and even product development. What was once campaign-based influencer marketing is evolving into always-on creator programs, with brands building dedicated teams and tools to manage the partnerships at scale.

“The lesson of our 30-year history is that measurement, standards, and interoperability — as mundane as those things can sometimes sound — are what got this industry from zero to just shy of $300 billion,” added Cohen. “And with the disruption and opportunity that AI is bringing into the ecosystem, there is still lots of vital work ahead.”

The “IAB Internet Advertising Revenue Report: Full Year 2025” is available here.

Experts from IAB, PwC, and Madison & Wall will discuss key findings and trends from the report during a webinar on April 21 at 1 pm ET. Register here.

NEW YORK—In a move that will streamline compliance with state privacy rules, Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) has announced significant updates to its Multi-State Privacy Agreement (MSPA) that the group described as the most substantive amendments to the framework since 2023.

The updates are designed to aid advertisers’ compliance and business objectives by simplifying privacy law compliance, reducing partner contracting friction, closing contractual gaps, and strengthening protections under U.S. state privacy laws.

The IAB noted that as privacy enforcement accelerates across the U.S., advertisers face increasing business risk relating to the personal data flowing through agencies, ad tech vendors, measurement providers, and other downstream partners. Recent state enforcement actions have highlighted the fact that advertisers remain responsible for protecting consumer data, even when the data is shared with or otherwise activated by third parties.

“This update makes the MSPA an even more powerful tool for the digital advertising ecosystem,” said David Cohen, CEO, IAB. “In a time of increasing enforcement and complexity, we’re giving advertisers and their partners a clear, trusted framework that simplifies compliance, accelerates collaboration, and protects them in a meaningful way. As adoption grows, the value multiplies—creating a shared standard that helps the entire industry move faster, with greater confidence, while reinforcing consumer trust and supporting the ad-supported internet people rely on every day.”

The revised MSPA introduces advertiser-specific updates that simplify compliance and speed adoption across the ecosystem, including a streamlined structure that increases accessibility for major brands and clarifies how ad tech partners may process personal data—creating a consistent compliance baseline across covered transactions without the need for custom contract amendments or repeated negotiations. The result is unlocked business opportunities and a quicker go-to-market approach with partners that are MSPA signatories, the IAB explained.

The group also stressed that state regulators are making clear that strong contractual controls over personal data are no longer optional.

Recent California enforcement actions involving Healthline Media and American Honda Motor Co. highlight, amongst other things, breakdowns tied to not having required privacy terms in contracts. In the Healthline enforcement action, California regulators highlighted that Healthline could, in part, return to CCPA compliance by complying with the MSPA.

More information is available here.

NEW YORK—IAB Tech Lab, the global digital advertising technical standard-setting body, has made a notable move to improve the way buyers plan and reserve advertising on live programming with the release of the Live Event Ad Playbook (LEAP).

As more high profile sporting events move to streaming and digital media, the release is particularly notable because the industry still lacks consistent ways to forecast and reserve inventory in advance. This proposal aims to move planning earlier in the workflow and make live inventory more visible and actionable across programmatic systems, the organization said.

The proposed specification is also designed to help address a long-standing industry challenge by enabling standardized discovery of upcoming programming, including but not limited to live events.

It means that content owners can now share information with partners relating to schedules, expected ad breaks, and expected viewership. The Forecasting API represents Phase Two of the LEAP Initiative and is intended to support more effective planning, deal creation, and monetization of premium live and tune-in programming across the digital advertising ecosystem, the Lab said.

"Live events continue to be one of the most valuable and technically complex areas of digital advertising," said Anthony Katsur, CEO, IAB Tech Lab. "This proposal moves the industry earlier in the process by making future live inventory visible and actionable. It is about giving buyers and sellers the tools they need to plan ahead with confidence and scale those workflows through shared standards."

The IAB Tech Lab noted that today’s programmatic systems generally lack consistent mechanisms for surfacing future inventory, limiting buyers’ ability to plan and reserve inventory in advance.

The Forecasting API is designed to address that gap by allowing broadcasters and content owners to publish structured metadata to exchanges and DSPs. This includes information such as event schedules, expected ad breaks, and viewership forecasts, using a shared schema aligned with existing OpenRTB and AdCOM standards.

The Forecasting API builds on the foundation established by the Concurrent Streams API, which helps buyers and ad tech platforms understand the scale of live opportunities in real time.

By moving upstream in the workflow, the Forecasting API enables earlier planning for live and tune-in programming, supports automated deal creation through integration with the Deals API, and helps participants take full advantage of highly engaged live audiences. Together, these components are intended to support a more scalable advance market for premium live content.

Several industry executives applauded the release.

“For years, Disney has been committed to modern and sophisticated forecasting capabilities to demonstrate the value of our premium Sports, Entertainment and News inventory,” said Alex Combs, vice president, ad product, Disney Entertainment & ESPN. “As programmatic growth accelerates, standardized interoperability is no longer optional; it is the foundational infrastructure required to eliminate friction in buying. This is especially true for live events and programming, where timing is crucial. Our active participation in the Forecasting and Concurrent Streams IAB Tech Lab initiative reflects our commitment to making automated buying as easy, efficient, and data driven as possible – delivering measurably better outcomes for our clients and creating an engaging experience for viewers.”

“As live and tentpole programming continues to grow across digital and streaming platforms, buyers and sellers need better ways to plan and coordinate around moments of peak viewer engagement,” added Daniel Perry-Zucker, senior product manager, The Trade Desk. “By standardizing how the industry communicates about upcoming inventory, the Forecasting API helps improve monetization and consumer experiences alike—bringing greater speed, predictability, and scale to live advertising across the ecosystem, and we’re excited to help put these standards into practice.”

The Forecasting API reflects the industry’s growing focus on standardization as live streaming continues to expand and evolve. By thinking beyond the bidstream and enabling shared approaches to forecasting and planning, the specification aims to reduce friction, improve efficiency, and support more effective monetization of live content across the ecosystem. In addition to the API specification, Implementation Guidance has also been provided.

To participate in the public comment process until March 20, 2026, please visit https://iabtechlab.com/standards/leap/

NEW YORK—The Interactive Advertising Bureau has announced Project Eidos, an industry-wide effort to modernize advertising and marketing measurement, at its 2026 Annual Leadership Meeting.

“While advanced measurement is widely used across the industry, it’s still falling short of its core promise. The time for a single-channel fix or a one-off framework has passed,” said IAB CEO David Cohen. “It’s time to address the foundational issues that have quietly undermined measurement for years.”

Project Eidos is a holistic, 360-degree multi-year measurement project that brings together industry leaders from every IAB Center of Excellence, board members from commerce, experience, measurement and media.

Working with industry leaders, Project Eidos will replace today’s patchwork of channel-by-channel measurement with an interoperable approach based on shared constructs and consistent language that deliver scalable, privacy-resilient measurement across all channels, including clear standards for Marketing Mix Modeling (MMM), IAB said.

“There’s no single methodology that can answer every measurement question; different approaches exist in order to answer different business questions,” said Maggie Zak, executive vice president of Analytics & Engineering at Havas Media Network. “As media has become more complex, the lack of alignment across those approaches has become a real constraint, leaving agencies to reconcile differences instead of driving growth. Project Eidos addresses this at the foundation, creating shared constructs that allow measurement approaches to work together in a more flexible and scalable way.”

The project will focus on unifying and harmonizing measurement, cross-channel outcomes, attribution and incrementality and modernizing MMM.

The just-released “IAB State of Data 2026: The AI-Powered Measurement Transformation” report underscores the need for Project Eidos. The survey polled more than 400 senior decision-makers at brands and agencies with expertise in planning or analytics, conducted in partnership with BWG Global to understand the current state of AI adoption in advanced measurement.

It examined how AI is being applied today, what value it’s delivering and what measurable improvements it can realistically drive over the next one to two years.

The survey found that while advanced measurement is broadly adopted on the buy-side, 60% to 75% of users say it falls short on rigor, timeliness, trust and efficiency. None believe all paid channels are well-represented today in MMMs.

According to the report, the buy-side believes AI can materially improve advanced measurement within one to two years. Improvements could help unlock $26.3 billion in media investment and $6.2 billion in productivity value.

About half of respondents reported scaling AI within their current advanced measurement frameworks; among those not yet scaling, more than 70% expect to do so within one to two years.

The report found roughly half of the buy-side cited significant or critical concerns related to legal and security risks, accuracy and data quality within one to two years. However, fewer than 40% report having or planning to put solutions in place to mitigate these challenges.

It also found a shift toward contractual accountability for AI. AI-related clauses currently exist in about 40% of brand-agency and partner contracts and are expected to double within one to two years.

More information about Project Eidos is available online.

More information on the “IAB State of Data 2026” report is available online.

NEW YORK—The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) has released a new study predicting 9.5% year-over-year growth in U.S. ad spend, accelerated by major cyclical events like the mid-term elections and Olympics. Its annual 2026 Outlook Study also shows clear shift toward performance-led strategies and the increasing use of agentic AI in shaping how marketing decisions are planned, activated, and optimized.

The 2026 Outlook Study, “A Snapshot into U.S. Ad Spend, Opportunities, and Strategies for Growth,” is based on insights from more than 200 brands and agency buyers.

“Our report shows that in this growth cycle, innovation and experimentation are firmly taking priority as the market is being structurally reimagined”, said David Cohen, CEO, IAB. “The encouraging news is that buyers are still looking at 2026 as a year of growth despite a lot of potentially destabilizing forces. The industry is working with AI-powered tools that are constantly improving and are delivering both efficiency and effectiveness to marketers. We remain encouraged and optimistic about the opportunities in the year ahead.”

One notable finding in this year’s study is the fact that AI has become the defining force shaping marketing priorities in 2026, with advertisers rapidly embedding the technology across planning, activation, and measurement. The report finds that five of the six top areas of increased focus for advertisers are now directly tied to AI including the proliferation of autonomous and agentic solutions, underscoring how quickly these capabilities have moved from emerging tools to core industry infrastructure.

As agentic AI-driven media planning and campaign execution accelerates, advertisers are placing greater emphasis on measurement and accountability, with cross-platform measurement rising to 72%, up from 64% year over year, reflecting the need to connect AI-orchestrated implementation with outcomes.

These priorities also show how buyers are rapidly recalibrating around autonomous decisioning, optimization and planning systems, with two-thirds now focused on agentic AI for ad buying and campaign execution, the study found.

This shift is further underscored by the fact that 73% of marketers are now prioritizing content optimized for AI-generated answers, revealing how AI is shaping not just delivery, but the structure of creative and search visibility across platforms.

“AI is no longer a siloed initiative – it’s the connective tissue that links media, measurement, creative, and customer experience,” said Chris Bruderle, vice president, Industry Insights & Content Strategy, IAB. ”But what’s changing in 2026 is how AI is being deployed – not just as a tool but as an intelligent partner coordinating campaigns in real time. Agentic AI is moving us toward fully autonomous systems that can plan, activate and optimize with speed and scale.”

The study also highlighted the ongoing growth of digital along with declines in the linear TV ad spend.

With total U.S. ad spend projected to grow 9.5% in 2026, digital continues to outpace the broader market, with double-digit gains expected across social media (+14.6%), connected TV (+13.8%), and commerce media (+12.1%). These channels are increasingly central to marketers' performance strategies, powered by AI-driven targeting and measurement innovations.

Meanwhile, linear TV is forecasted to decline by 1.7%, a slower rate than in previous years, buoyed by a unique alignment of major media events. The Winter Olympics, FIFA World Cup, and U.S. midterm elections are expected to deliver temporary spikes in viewership and advertiser demand, offering short-term stabilization to an otherwise contracting channel.

Another major trend is the development and impact of new marketing priorities, the researchers noted.

A new hierarchy of marketing priorities reflects evolving consumer behavior and the AI learning curve, as buyers balance near-term performance pressures with longer-term shifts in how strategies are built and optimized. Adapting to changing consumer habits is now the top investment focus (44%), surpassing macroeconomic factors, while 38% of buyers cite understanding generative AI as a major challenge, up 14 points from 2025, underscoring the need for deeper AI fluency and strategic application.

While customer acquisition remains the top objective for buyers (54%), that figure has declined 10 points year over year, indicating shifting priorities. At the same time, the focus on driving repeat purchases (25%) has grown steadily, and nearly doubled since 2024 (13%). As advertisers increasingly integrate agentic AI to manage budget pacing, audience planning, and campaign optimization, retention strategies are becoming more efficient – and more scalable. This reflects a broader shift toward retention-driven growth among mid-size and large advertisers, who are seeking more predictable and profitable outcomes.

“Brands are clearly rebalancing their growth strategies as acquisition costs rise and first-party data ecosystems mature,” added Bruderle. “AI – particularly agentic AI – is poised to enable marketers to activate those data assets more intelligently, driving personalization, loyalty, and repeat purchase at scale. With commerce media, clean rooms, CRM onboarding, and loyalty programs now reaching millions of known customers, repeat purchase is becoming a primary growth engine — not just a support tactic.”

The official “2026 Outlook Study: A Snapshot into U.S. Ad Spend, Opportunities, and Strategies for Growth,” is available here for download.

NEW YORK—Ad spend in the creator economy has more than doubled since 2021 from $13.9B to $29.5B in 2024 and that amount is projected to reach $37 billion in 2025 — a 26% increase year-over-year and about 4x faster than the media industry overall, according to a new report from the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB).

In its 2025 Creator Economy Ad Spend & Strategy Report, the association says the surge in investments in the U.S. creator economy “is reshaping modern media strategies.”

Creator ad spend has jumped up the ranks as brands are now treating creators as a distinct channel, not just a tactic within social media, IAB said, with nearly half (48%) of ad spenders considering creators a “must buy,” ranking only behind social media and paid search.

“Leveraging the creator economy to connect with audiences is no longer experimental for marketers — it’s essential,” said David Cohen, CEO, IAB. “The significant growth we’re seeing reflects a deepening commitment from brands to invest in creator-driven strategies. However, with that maturity comes a need for clear standards, better measurement, and tools to navigate an incredibly fragmented ecosystem.”

Additional key findings from the report reveal how brands are leveraging creator advertising to activate, scale, and measure their media strategies.

While brands leverage creator campaigns most often for awareness and reach, the study found sales is also among their top campaign goals:

• Building brand awareness (43%)
• Reaching new audiences (41%)
• Enhancing brand reputation / trust (35%)
• Driving online sales / conversions (32%)

With online sales listed as the fourth most common goal, brands are also utilizing creators across the purchase funnel, IAB says, with 40% of buyers ranking overall ROI as their top KPI for creator campaigns.

“Creators are unmatched when it comes to storytelling and cultural relevance — however, brands are also seeing them as performance drivers when integrated strategically,” added Chris Bruderle, Vice President, Industry Insights & Content Strategy, IAB. “Creator marketing isn’t just about awareness — it’s proving its value across the full funnel.”

The report also noted the challenges in helping connect content creators with the right brands and audiences, IAB said, with a third of the brands surveyed considering it their biggest hurdle.

According to the study, more than half of brands said creator reputation (58%) and audience alignment (56%) are among the top criteria when selecting a creator to align with their brand, demonstrating that credibility and relevance define effective partnerships.

“The creator marketing ecosystem is still highly fragmented, with varying partnership models, siloed budgets, and limited standardization making it tough for marketers to assess things like audience fit or creator credibility at scale,” said Zoe Soon, Vice President, Experience Center, IAB. “The result is an environment where strategic matchmaking is often more art than science, and where brands are calling for better discovery tools to guide their investment decisions.”

When it comes to artificial intelligence, nearly three-in-four creator ad buyers are already using or planning to use AI within the next year, IAB said.

This increasing reliance on AI underscores a strategic shift toward automation that prioritizes scale, speed, and creative optimization. Those currently using AI for creator content are leveraging it for content refinement, work efficiency, and scalability, rather than full creative replacement:

• Content editing (49%)
• Creator briefs (46%)
• Content personalization (45%)

However, despite AI’s growing role, 95% of advertisers have concerns about using AI in creator marketing overall, according to IAB. Brands state their top concern with AI is the loss of human connection, which is a very important consideration when “building genuine, relatable experiences” and the top reason they invest in creator marketing.

Brands are calling for better attribution, more consistent reporting, and operational tools to link creator efforts to measurable business outcomes.

Measurement, standards, and tools that promote transparency and comparability emerged as the top opportunity areas for improvement, including:

• Advanced attribution
• Consistent reporting
• Creator discovery and vetting tools
• Standards for audience authentication and fraud prevention

Soon concluded, “Without these foundational elements, it’s difficult to link creator activations to meaningful business outcomes, which is a critical next step as creator advertising becomes a core part of modern media strategy.”

NEW YORK—IAB Tech Lab, the global digital advertising technical standards-setting body, has announced the release of device attestation support in the industry standard Open Measurement SDK (OM SDK).

This new capability is supported on Apple devices and Amazon Fire TV and is designed to further strengthen efforts to combat widespread device spoofing and to provide buyers, sellers and verification companies with greater confidence in the environments where ads are delivered, the lab said.

“OM SDK gave buyers standardized, consistent measurement metrics across screens and devices,” IAB Tech Lab CEO Anthony Katsur said. “The Device Attestation capability builds on that and provides a critical next step for CTV growth. Buyers should prioritize the OM SDK because it is the only measurement standard built on device-native signals, not inferred data. And with attestation, they can be confident the inventory they are measuring is real.”

The new capability helps address a fundamental vulnerability in connected TV and mobile advertising: the misrepresentation of device information or device spoofing, where bad actors falsify device information to appear as premium inventory. This leads to wasted ad spend for buyers and lost revenue for sellers, the IAB Tech Lab explained.

Adopting IETF's Privacy Pass Protocol for the digital ads verification use case, the Device Attestation capability in OM SDK enables buyers to independently verify they are buying genuine CTV and mobile inventory from sellers, thanks to privacy-preserving attestations made by device manufacturers for their devices. This adds another valuable signal that can strengthen the industry's ability to detect and prevent device spoofing, the IAB reported.

“Device spoofing is a significant attack vector for bad actors generating invalid traffic across several General and Sophisticated IVT categories required to be detected and filtered as part of MRC Standards,” Ron Pinelli, senior vice president of digital research and standards, Media Rating Council (MRC), said. “MRC appreciates the opportunity to be involved in and support the development of this important enhancement to OM SDK that can be used by the ad-tech ecosystem to enhance IVT detection and measurement capabilities.”

This release builds on the OM SDK’s role as a shared measurement foundation since 2018, enabling third-party verification of impressions and viewability across CTV and mobile environments. Device attestation in OM SDK takes verification even further, helping the industry build trust in individual sellers and supply paths by allowing participants to demonstrate the authenticity of devices in the inventory they are selling, the group said.

For buyers, device attestation means cleaner measurement and reduced waste from fraudulent inventory. For sellers and app developers, it protects monetization by signaling attested supply paths. For verification companies, it creates a new seller and supply chain-level signal representing device authenticity.

"Device-spoofing represents a significant threat in today's advertising landscape," said Neal Richter, director, Amazon DSP, Amazon Ads. "By receiving secure signals of authenticity directly from supported CTV devices like Fire TV, we can be confident that we're getting inventory from real devices. As adoption of this new capability increases across the industry, we'll be able to independently verify that we're buying genuine CTV inventory, ultimately creating more transparency and trust in CTV advertising."

"Device attestation represents a fundamental shift in how we combat device spoofing by creating a positive signal of device authenticity," said Geoff Stupay, senior vice president, global head of product at cybersecurity firm HUMAN. "We're extremely pleased to have collaborated with the OM SDK Commit Group to develop this capability, which will help buyers confidently identify quality CTV and mobile inventory and give sellers a way to differentiate their trusted supply paths."

The IAB Tech Lab said that Device Attestation in OM SDK release reflects collaboration across the Open Measurement Commit Group, which includes a range of technical stakeholders from across the industry. Participating companies include AdsWizz, Amazon Ads, DoubleVerify, Google, HUMAN and Integral Ad Science. This cross-industry participation ensures the framework is both technically rigorous and scalable across environments, IAB Tech Lab said.

To learn more about Device Attestation in OM SDK and how to implement it, visit https://iabtechlab.com/standards/open-measurement-sdk/.

NEW YORK—The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) today released a new industry guide that discusses the urgency of adopting new standards that will help advertisers better measure ads run on connected TV (CTV).

“The Role of CAPI in Closing the Outcome Gap for CTV,” recommends that the advertising industry adopt so-called Conversion APIs (CAPI) that help advertisers determine the effectiveness of their ads on CTV.

CAPIs are a form of "digital bridge" that uses server-to-server data sharing to help advertisers determine which ads prompt viewers to take further action. Instead of relying on browser cookies or personal tracking, CAPIs let advertisers and platforms securely connect data behind the scenes to measure which ads drive real actions.

Designed for brands, agencies, publishers and ad tech partners, the report explores how CAPIs can standardize measurement, enable privacy-safe data collaboration and help the CTV ecosystem deliver performance outcomes similar to channels such as search and social.

“The industry has been very consistent with advertisers signaling loud and clear that outcomes matter,” IAB CEO David Cohen said. “This report is a call to action. Without standardization and implementation of CAPI, CTV platforms will struggle to reach their full potential, and will lose performance budgets to more measurable channels.”

The IAB guide, based on industry research and insights, outlines a clear path for standardized CAPI adoption to help CTV deliver the same accountability and performance measurement advertisers expect from other channels.

Establishing CTV as a Performance-Driven Channel Through CAPI
While CTV is one of the fastest-growing advertising channels, IAB says it remains one of the hardest to measure. CAPI implementation in CTV has been inconsistent due to fragmentation, limited identifiers and technical barriers. Yet when implemented correctly, CAPI enables secure, server-to-server data sharing that connects ad exposure to outcomes, unlocking smarter campaign optimization. Standardizing this approach across CTV can:

• Create parity between CTV and established performance channels.
• Restore advertiser confidence through accurate, privacy-safe measurement.
• Unlock cross-channel optimization and faster feedback loops.
• Support industry-wide collaboration around data interoperability.

“Advertisers want streaming, and they need accountability," said Jamie Finstein, vice president, media center at IAB. “A standardized CAPI is how CTV can deliver both.”

IAB Survey
In preparation for the report, IAB conducted a proprietary industry survey to gain insights from brands, agencies, publishers and technology leaders of all sizes about what the industry must do next to unlock the full performance promise of CTV.

While 75% of advertisers using a CAPI are willing to reallocate budgets based on conversion performance, the findings showed, 72% of publishers cited technical complexity as a barrier to adoption. Respondents revealed issues with the CTV ecosystem’s fragmentation, limited identifiers and lack of engagement signals compared to social and search.

The results reinforced the urgency for collaboration and standardization across the CTV ecosystem. The guide, a strategic imperative, is a call to action for advertisers and platforms to unite around a common framework for data collaboration and outcome measurement, and provides practical guidance for implementing a CAPI across diverse platforms and partners.

The real opportunity lies in establishing a shared framework where platforms align on event taxonomies, consent metadata and data flows, according to IAB. This alignment will reduce operational complexity for advertisers and make solutions like IAB Tech Lab’s CAPI Standardization Project scalable across the ecosystem. Designed to go beyond simple conversion tracking, IAB Tech Lab’s specification aims to support a wide range of events that advertisers rely on to optimize performance and measure ROI, the organization said.

Finstein concluded: “With this guide, we invite the industry to move forward together. By offering a practical road map grounded in data and cross-industry input, IAB aims to accelerate scalable CAPI adoption— ensuring that CTV can meet rising demand for performance, accountability and trust.”

Click here to access The Role of CAPI in Closing the Outcome Gap for CTV, available for download at iab.com.

NEW YORK—As AI usage continues to spike, a new study from IAB delves into an important aspect of how AI is transforming the advertising business with new data showing the growing influence of AI over shopping decisions.

The study, which the IAB is billing as first-of-its-kind research, found that among people who use AI for shopping, AI is now the second most influential shopping source behind only search engines—surpassing retailer websites and apps, and even recommendations from friends and family.

“AI is reinventing the traditional shopping journey and reshaping how and when brands should engage,” said David Cohen, CEO, IAB. “The path to purchase has not been linear for some time, but now it’s intelligent, conversational, and happening on demand.”

The “When AI Guides the Shopping Journey: Opportunities for Marketers in the Age of AI-Driven Commerce” study done in collaboration with Talk Shoppe explores how AI is rapidly reshaping the digital consumer shopping journey and how marketers must adapt to meet high-intent consumers in real-time.

Other key findings from the study include:

• AI in Shopping Is Seeing Rapid Adoption. AI has quickly emerged as a dominant force in commerce. Among AI Shoppers, 46% say they use AI “most or every time” they shop and 80% state they expect to rely on it more in the future. Additionally respondents said AI makes shopping more fun, intuitive, and personal. Over 70% of shoppers say it often anticipates their needs before they even ask, 85% agree its recommendations feel personalized, and 83% find it makes shopping more enjoyable.
• Where AI Shines: Helping Shoppers Decide and Discover. AI’s usage is highest in the beginning and middle of the shopping journey as consumers leverage it for research and comparison to provide clarity while shopping. More than 80% of shoppers deemed AI most effective when researching and comparing products. By delivering clarity, AI enables shoppers to move forward quickly and confidently with their journeys. Most notably of AI shopping sessions, 81% say AI made the job easier and 77% say AI made them feel more confident in their decisions. AI also unlocks discovery of new products and brands. Nearly 90% of shoppers say AI helps them discover products they wouldn’t have found otherwise, and 64% had AI surface a new product in-session.
• The Trust Gap: Only 46% of Shoppers Fully Trust AI Recommendations. Despite the momentum, consumers are still cautious as they seek transparency, reliability, and human validation in their AI experiences. Even as AI simplifies choices, less than half (46%) of consumers fully trust the shopping recommendations AI provides, and 89% still double-check AI information to feel certain before purchase. Friction moments such as missing links, unclear sources, and unfit recommendation.
• Consumers cited a variety of factors that would boost trust in AI, including: Sourcing/where the information is coming from (88%); Verified customer reviews (87%); Explaining how answers are generated (75%); Using AI Adds Steps in the Purchasing Journey but Not Necessarily Time. For additional confirmation, almost all consumers (95%) reported taking at least one additional action post-AI shopping to feel confident in their purchase before ending their session. AI is not necessarily removing steps from the journey, but creating new, high-intent validation moments. Prior to AI engagement, the average shopper completed 1.6 steps online before making a purchase. However following AI interaction, that number jumped to 3.8.

“Our study found that AI’s greatest strength is its ability to streamline the research and comparison phase, empowering consumers to navigate their journey confidently,” added Jack Koch, senior vice president of research and insights, IAB. “AI isn’t replacing how consumers shop, it’s enhancing it. By narrowing down options and guiding shoppers forward, AI gives them the clarity to act.”

Far from being a detour, high-intent shoppers' visits to retailer or marketplace websites nearly tripled after interacting with AI. Seventy-eight percent of shoppers went to a retailer’s site and one in three clicked directly from an AI platform to a retailer or marketplace.

Beyond uncovering new consumer insights, the new IAB report also offers actionable recommendations for brands and retailers ready to take the next step with AI. With shoppers embracing AI-driven experiences, businesses have a significant opportunity to develop strategies that deepen customer relationships through personalization, convenience, and trust. The findings underscore the importance of meeting consumers in the shopping moments that matter most, where AI can enhance discovery, decision-making, and loyalty in meaningful ways, the researchers reported.

The full “When AI Guides the Shopping Journey: Opportunities for Marketers in the Age of AI-Driven Commerce” study is available here.

Additionally, IAB is hosting a webinar “When AI Guides the Shopping Journey” featuring experts from Koddi, Microsoft, and Stingray who explore findings from this first-of-its-kind research study with Talk Shoppe revealing how AI has transformed the consumer shopping experience. The webinar takes place on Tuesday, October 28 from 1 - 2pm ET. Click here to register.

The study encompasses real consumer behavior with data-driven insight, combining an immersive, screen-recorded online community featuring 450+ AI-powered shopping sessions with a robust survey of 600 consumers aged 18–64, delivering both depth and statistical confidence, the IAB said.

NEW YORK—Amid growing concerns about the health of the economy and the economic turbulence being created by tariffs, the IAB has significantly lowered its advertising forecasts for 2025, with linear TV now expected to decline by 14.4% for the year.

The newly released IAB’s “2025 Outlook Study September Update: A Snapshot of the Latest Ad Spend Trends, Opportunities, and Strategies for Growth” found that ad buyers expect to spend less in the second half of the year than originally projected, leading IAB to lower its 2025 U.S. ad spend projection 1.6 percentage points from 7.3% growth to 5.7% growth. While the ad spend in the first half held steady with IAB’s original forecast (7.0% growth), new worries about the economy, driven largely by tariffs, pushed the second-half projection down to a 5.0% growth rate, driving a lower full-year outlook, the group said.

The IAB 2025 Outlook Study September Update is based on a survey of over 200 buyers at brands and agencies to understand their growth strategies, anticipated spend by channel, and the challenges they foresee.

The IAB survey found that tariff concerns are driving real-time budget reshuffles. A staggering 91% of buyers have concerns about how tariffs will affect media spending, and for sectors like auto, retail, and consumer electronics, that concern is escalating into action.

These categories, which are heavily reliant on imported products/parts, are being pressured to balance rising costs with unrelenting demands to perform. According to the report, 62% to 69% of buyers expect these industries to be hit hardest, and many are already adjusting spend strategies.

Amid tariff concerns, buyers cite macroeconomic headwinds (41%) and changing consumer habits (40%) as their top two overall challenges for the rest of the year.

“The marketplace reacts poorly to uncertainty. With tariff impacts starting to roll through the supply chain, there is a lot of hesitance as to where the economy and consumer sentiment will go over the coming months,” said David Cohen, CEO, IAB. “Marketers are laser-focused on maintaining the utmost flexibility while driving short-term performance that delivers on their business goals.”

The IAB research also found that buyers are focused on performance, with customer acquisition being the top goal (64%) and increased urgency on driving repeat purchases (+8 percentage points vs. 2024).

Those priorities seem to have helped digital media while accelerating the ongoing shift of ad budgets from traditional TV to digital.

Even with the full-year ad spend forecast revised downward by 1.6 points to +5.7%, key digital channels are still expected to post double-digit growth, with IAB predicting social media spending will grow by 14.3%, retail media will see a 13.2% pop and CTV will increase by 11.4%.

“In our January report, we saw real concerns about the economy, and a shift toward performance-driven media. Now that shift is accelerating. If consumers are pulling back, that means every single dollar of ad spend has to earn a return — and that’s more important than ever for auto, retail, and consumer electronics advertisers,” said Chris Bruderle, vice president, industry insights & content strategy, IAB.

That is also driving a shift from traditional media. The IAB is now predicting that linear TV will decline -14.4% compared with IAB’s January projection of -12.7%. Other traditional media will decline more than twice as much as projected in January (-3.4%, compared with -1.5% earlier this year.)

“The silver lining in all of this is that the overall attitude of buyers remains positive. Budgets may tighten somewhat, but they’re confident that digital media can deliver the measurable results they need,” concluded Cohen. “This update to our projections should help the industry make the most of the remainder of 2025 while keeping an eye on 2026.”

The latest “2025 Outlook Study September Update: A Snapshot into Ad Spend, Opportunities, and Strategies for Growth” is available here.

NEW YORK—As more live events move to streaming and streaming platforms work to boost their ad revenue, the digital advertising tech standards-setting body, IAB Tech Lab has released its Live Event Ad Playbook.

The proposed standards in the release were developed by IAB Tech Lab Working Groups in collaboration with Amazon, NBCUniversal, FreeWheel, and Index Exchange as part of their efforts to improve ad delivery for live streaming events. The proposed standards include the new Concurrent Streams API specification aimed at simplifying the monetization of live streaming events.

“Streaming is now the dominant form of television viewership in the U.S., and the rest of the world is rapidly following suit. Live events — whether sports, news, or cultural moments — are increasingly broadcast via streaming platforms,” said Anthony Katsur, CEO, IAB Tech Lab. “Delivering a seamless live stream at scale is already a technical challenge. Seamlessly inserting ads during those peak moments of concurrency is even harder. The Live Event Ad Playbook and our new Concurrent Streams API are purpose-built to help the industry meet this moment — ensuring advertisers can act on high-impact opportunities without sacrificing the viewer experience.”

In releasing the Live Event Ad Playbook, the IAB noted that streaming services are expected to spend more than $11 billion on sports rights alone this year. Marquee sporting events like Super Bowl LX and the 2024 Paris Olympic Games have driven mass viewership, demonstrating the power of live sports for advertisers looking to reach audiences at scale.

As more streaming services buy sports rights, IAB Tech Lab members felt there was a growing need for new standards and best practices. To address that issue, it formed the Live Event Ad Serving Working Group, which includes industry leaders Amazon, FreeWheel, Index Exchange, and NBCUniversal. The group is focused on leveraging its own learnings and best practices to create a more transparent supply chain for the live streaming ecosystem. The proposed standards aim to equip advertisers and streaming services with the tools needed to support live events with reliable and scalable ad delivery, the IAB Tech Lab explained.

To help the industry address live streaming challenges, the group has proposed the Concurrent Streams API, which provides real-time insights into how many viewers are watching a live stream. This allows publishers—either independently or through their SSAI partners—to send live viewership data to ad systems, enabling faster ad decisions and reducing the risk of missed ad breaks. For advertisers, this means better handling of traffic spikes and the ability to adjust campaigns in real time to capture high-value moments.

Several companies involved in the effort applauded the result.

“Between over a billion impressions during the 2024 NFL Playoff, and a 90% increase in advertiser participation in the 2024 Olympics, there's a very clear, booming demand for live sports,” said Mark McKee, general manager at FreeWheel, which is owned by Comcast. “By partnering with IAB Tech Lab, Amazon, NBCUniversal, and Index Exchange, we’re making it easier for advertisers to tap into these high-impact moments with scalable, seamless, and low-latency ad experiences.”

"Live streaming events represent a unique opportunity for advertisers. The premium nature of these environments requires thoughtful technical infrastructure that can adapt in real-time,” said Neal Richter, director, Amazon DSP. “By establishing common protocols and APIs, we're collectively moving toward a more reliable set of standards that benefits viewers, content creators, and brands.”

Another proposal on the horizon is an API that will provide projected viewership estimates for upcoming events over a rolling 2–3-week window, helping publishers prepare for traffic surges and enabling advertisers to fine-tune their budgets, deals, and delivery strategies, the Lab reported.

“NBCUniversal has been a leader in live streaming for several years, paving the way for advertisers to reap the benefits of tentpole live event programming across news, sports, and entertainment,” said Ryan McConville, executive vice president chief product officer, advertising platforms and operations, NBCUniversal. “With our extensive work in live event advertising, we have unique insight and expertise, and believe that the industry at large will benefit from the standards the IAB has put forward.

“The high degree of concurrency and unpredictability in live TV streams is both a challenge and a tremendous opportunity for the programmatic ecosystem,” said Catherine Cho, lead product manager, Index Exchange. “The goal of this effort is to tame the chaos with standards and make every streaming impression opportunity biddable and addressable by buyers.”

IAB Tech Lab said that all stakeholders including publishers, advertisers, developers, and technology partners can review the proposed guidelines at https://iabtechlab.com/standards/leap/

As the process of buying ads and developing marketing campaigns for multiple platforms becomes both more important and more complex, the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) has released its “2025 Unified Media Planning Playbook.”

The playbook is designed to help advertisers navigate an increasingly fragmented media landscape by taking a deep dive into the realities of cross-platform video planning and execution in an increasingly fragmented ecosystem across connected TV, online video, social video and free ad-supported streaming television (FAST).

It also aims to provide a pragmatic framework to help marketers navigate the complexities of fragmented identity systems, inconsistent measurement standards and increasing signal loss in today’s privacy-centric media environment, the IAB said.

The IAB described some of the key themes as follows:

• “Embrace the patchwork: Unified planning today means stitching together modular solutions like CDPs, clean rooms, and identity graphs—not chasing a single-stack fix.
• “Fragmentation is here to stay: With each video channel operating in its own data silo and identity environment, true interoperability remains a work in progress.
• “Measurement is messy: Marketers must layer A/B tests, MMM, outcome-based models, and hybrid KPIs to fill in the blanks across platforms.
• “Privacy and signal loss are redefining strategy: The end of cookies and IDs is accelerating reliance on contextual targeting, first-party data and clean-room collaboration.”

The full playbook can be accessed here.

NEW YORK—Video’s transition to the future is accelerating, with half of advertisers already using Gen AI to build video ads, according to IAB’s “2025 Digital Video Ad Spend & Strategy Full Report.”

Created in partnership with Advertiser Perceptions and Guideline, Part Two of the report provides insights into the impact of GenAI on ad production, what advertisers are demanding from CTV and live sports, the focus on business outcomes, and more. Part One of the report was released in April.

“The economics of advertising are being transformed. As the costs of production fall, the opportunities for advertisers multiply,” said David Cohen, CEO, IAB. “The pool of potential advertisers is growing, as it is easier than ever to plan, buy, optimize, and creatively connect with consumers utilizing new technologies across all forms of media. The democratization of advertising and marketing is entering an exciting new phase, and the outlines of a new future are coming into view fast.”

GenAI Is How Video Ads are Being Created
Generative AI is rapidly becoming a cornerstone of video ad creation, transforming how campaigns are developed, tested, and scaled, according to IAB, adding that GenAI is now essential for video ad creation, with 86% of buyers using/planning to use it to build video ad creative.

Buyers project GenAI creative will reach 40% of all ads by 2026, with small and mid-tier brands (SMBs) adopting it faster than the largest brands. SMBs are tapping into GenAI’s ability to help them create high-quality digital video ads quickly, affordably, and at scale, bypassing the need for large teams or expensive production—capabilities that were once exclusive to bigger brands.

Advertisers are also using GenAI creative enhancement capabilities to create versions for different audiences (42%), visual style changes (38%), and contextual relevance (36%).

“Marketers are increasingly looking for partners that not only provide access to GenAI solutions but also help them unlock its full strategic and creative potential,” added Cohen.

Advertisers Expect More From CTV
IAB’s latest report also indicates that buyers expect 47% of CTV inventory to be biddable, up from 34% last year. Three out of four (74%) have built or are planning to build internal teams to manage self-serve CTV activation in-house.

While CTV has a bigger role, buyers want more options and more controls on inventory, according to IAB. With the rise of live content on streaming platforms, 60% of buyers expect more from these platforms than linear TV. One-third want unique interactive experiences and real time data.

“Buyers are excited about sports and other live content coming to streaming,” said Chris Bruderle, Vice President, Industry Insights & Content Strategy, IAB. “They expect to see new and better capabilities than they can get in linear.”

When activating CTV programmatically, more than 80% of digital video buyers want human assistance from their sell-side partners. For CTV platforms offering self-serve activation tools, this underscores the ongoing need to continue to engage directly with buyers.

“Being available programmatically is table stakes. Being a strategic partner who delivers ideas and results is becoming what’s vital to win ad spend,” added Jamie Finstein, Vice President, Media Center, IAB. “As digital video democratizes advertising for small and mid-sized businesses, many of these brands struggle with measurement complexity, standardization, cross-channel data, and scalability."

Buyers Are Focusing on Business Outcomes
CTV is rapidly closing the gap with social video as a performance-driving channel with buyers now holding both to similar expectations for driving business outcomes, including sales and offline store visits. With this year’s economic uncertainty — tariffs, geopolitical conflict, and shifting consumer sentiment — these outcomes have become even more critical, IAB says.

Advertisers have always wanted results, but increasingly — especially in CTV — they are demanding them right now. Bruderle concluded, “Driving bottom-funnel business outcomes is now far and away the most important KPI for video buyers. Deliver, or you’ll get cut.”

According to the report, digital video buyers stated the top reason they reduce or remove spend with streaming partners is failure to deliver business outcomes.

The IAB 2025 Digital Video Ad Spend & Strategy Full Report can be accessed here. The report was released on July 15 during the IAB Media Center’s Video Leadership Summit.

NEW YORK—In an important development that could streamline and improve the way digital ads are invoiced, the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) has released its Digital Advertising Invoice API Specifications and is asking for public comment between now and August 11, 2025.

This initiative introduces a unified, system-agnostic set of API specifications designed to streamline the exchange of invoice data and documentation between buyers and sellers in the digital advertising supply chain, the digital ad industry trade association explained.

“Despite the digital nature of our industry, the way we handle invoices is still largely manual and outdated,” said Angelina Eng, vice president , measurement, attribution and data center, IAB. “This effort reflects our commitment to modernizing digital advertising infrastructure, which will enable scalable, tech-forward solutions that work across platforms and stakeholders.”

Developed in close collaboration with Mediaocean and adapted from the Prisma platform’s proven API architecture, the specifications are designed to solve what the IAB calls “a persistent operational pain-point in digital advertising - the lack of standardization in invoicing processes.”

These new specifications provide a consistent, machine-readable format for transmitting invoice data, reducing the need for manual processing, accelerating payment cycles, and improving overall accuracy, the IAB said.

“This initiative reflects the kind of partnership IAB fosters - bringing stakeholders together to solve practical, systemic issues,” said Alexander Tsai, senior vice president of Prisma Product Management, at Mediaocean. “By aligning around a standardized API framework for invoice automation, we’re helping ensure that digital advertising keeps pace with the broader media landscape.”

The IAB also noted that invoicing in digital advertising has many inefficiencies, ranging from inconsistent formats and missing documentation to delayed payments and invoice rejections. The new API specifications aim to address these challenges by offering:

• A flexible, interoperable solution built for easy integration into existing seller-side finance systems;
• A common language and structure to improve invoice processing and data reconciliation;
• A foundation for faster, more accurate, and transparent payments.

Finalized specifications are expected to follow later this year.

To review the proposed digital advertising invoice API specifications and provide feedback, click here. The comment period is open through August 11, 2025.

NEW YORK—In an important step towards creating a unified framework for measurement and reporting of attention to media, the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) and the Media Rating Council (MRC) have released their Attention Measurement Guidelines for public comment.

"Attention is getting a lot of, well, attention — but without a shared standard, it's become a bit of a Wild West situation," said Angelina Eng, vice president of measurement, addressability and data center and center of excellence operations at the IAB. "Right now, there are too many different ways to measure and define it, which creates confusion and makes it hard to compare results or build trust. These guidelines are about bringing order to the chaos. They lay down a clear, consistent foundation so that attention can be measured in a way that's credible, useful, and ready for where the industry is headed."

Developed by the IAB Attention Task Force—a group of more than 200 members from across the advertising, media, and measurement industries—the IAB and the MRC reported that these guidelines offer a structured framework for the consistent measurement and reporting of attention across media. During the public comment period of 60 days, until July 12, 2025, the IAB is inviting brands, publishers, platforms, agencies, and measurement providers to review the guidelines and provide feedback.

A final version is expected to be released before the end of 2025, laying the groundwork for future MRC accreditation audits of attention measurement services.

The measurement guidelines outline four primary methodological approaches—data signals, visual tracking, physiological and neurological observations, and panel or survey-based inputs. It also creates shared requirements that can be applied across formats and platforms.

By reducing reliance on inconsistent or proprietary methodologies, the guidelines give all sides of the ecosystem a common baseline for comparing attention metrics and aligning them to business outcomes, the IAB and MRC reported.

"From the MRC's standpoint, measurement only works when it's grounded in rigor and ready for real-world scrutiny," said Ron Pinelli, senior vice president, digital research and standards, MRC. "It's important to have industry-accepted requirements for consistent measurement and reporting of attention metrics to enable users of these measures to understand and use them in an appropriate manner. These guidelines represent a framework for attention measurement across various methodological approaches including data validation, empirical support for models used and transparency in the form of reporting and disclosure. They define not just what attention is, but how to measure it with quality and consistency in a way that's transparent, comparable, and built to inform future validation through independent audit and accreditation."

The Attention Measurement Guidelines establish clear parameters around how attention should be applied in practice — not as a replacement for delivery or outcome metrics, but as a complementary signal that can enhance how exposure and engagement are understood, the two groups explained. By aligning methodologies, definitions, and reporting principles, the framework helps reduce ambiguity and supports more confident decision-making across planning, buying, and evaluation. It gives the industry a way to move beyond experimentation and begin operationalizing attention with greater consistency and accountability, the IAB and the MRC explained.

"This is about creating the conditions for trust — and ultimately, investment — in attention as a reliable indicator of exposure and engagement," Eng concluded. "But it only works if the industry leans in during this public comment period and helps shape something we can all stand behind."

Stakeholders are encouraged to review the draft Attention Measurement Guidelines and submit comments before July 12, 2025 here: https://www.iab.com/attention.

NEW YORK—As part of a major push to advance the role that artificial intelligence (AI) plays in the advertising industry, the Interactive Advertising Bureau has named Caroline Giegerich vice president, AI, and engaged a new IAB member, Alvarez & Marsal’s Media & Entertainment (M&E) group, to provide advice on the future of the industry. That advice will include the impact of AI on media buying, the development of industry standards and strategies for business transformation.

In the new post, Giegerich will lead IAB’s strategic initiatives to integrate AI across the digital advertising ecosystem, including the development of practical tools, resources, and best practices that empower marketers, agencies, publishers, platforms, and ad technology companies. Giegerich will report to Cintia Gabilan, senior vice president of centers of excellence and industry initiatives.

“IAB is entering a pivotal new phase in our AI journey—and Caroline’s deep expertise, creative vision, and collaborative leadership make her the ideal person to drive it forward,” Gabilan said. “From redefining creative workflows to protecting publisher IP, we’re building an AI roadmap that balances innovation with responsibility. Caroline will be at the helm of this transformation.”

Giegerich brings more than 20 years of experience in marketing, innovation, and emerging technologies. Most recently, she served as vice president of global marketing and innovation at Warner Music Group, where she led pioneering generative AI and immersive media campaigns for artists such as Cobrah and A Boogie. Her cross-industry expertise spans roles at MediaLink, HBO, Showtime Networks, and Smashbox Cosmetics and includes work with platforms like YouTube, Netflix, and Section, the executive learning platform where she upskilled marketers in AI strategy.

As VP, AI, Giegerich will spearhead a three-pronged 2025 AI roadmap that the IAB described as follows:

• The IAB AI Ecosystem Map – A dynamic, interactive resource that tracks and categorizes AI use cases across the advertising supply chain, from GenAI creative platforms to targeting, measurement, and brand safety solutions.
• GenAI Personalization Playbook – A comprehensive guide helping brands and agencies operationalize AI-powered creative personalization at scale, with a focus on workflow design, quality assurance, and creative infrastructure.
• AI-Centric Content Integrity & Trust – A cross-industry initiative to ensure AI-generated advertising content is accurate, brand-safe, and transparently disclosed. This includes developing QA protocols, hallucination detection tools, and labeling standards to help publishers, marketers, and platforms deploy GenAI responsibly while preserving consumer trust and platform credibility.

“Joining IAB at this inflection point is an opportunity to help the industry unlock AI’s full potential in a way that’s practical, ethical, and inclusive. Establishing shared standards and scalable solutions across stakeholders is exactly what the industry needs right now. There is no association more well-equipped to take on this task than IAB,” said Giegerich.

As part of IAB’s expanded commitment to harnessing the power of AI across the digital media and marketing ecosystem, the organization has also engaged new IAB member Alvarez & Marsal’s (A&M) Media & Entertainment (M&E) group.

The IAB reported that A&M will offer specialized advisory expertise in areas critical to the future of the industry—including the impact of AI on media buying, the development of industry standards, and strategies for business transformation.

“This position reflects A&M’s commitment to driving transformational change through innovation and the firm’s results-driven approach," Peri Shamsai, A&M managing director and M&E practice leader, stated. "By helping to shape AI-driven initiatives, we’re creating a shared foundation from which media companies, advertising agencies, and brands can harness AI’s power in ways we’ve only just begun to imagine. This collaboration represents a pivotal step in the industry’s journey toward achieving greater efficiencies through shared expertise and collective knowledge.”

“A&M and IAB share a mutual commitment to unlocking value and opportunities through AI," added Sonia V. Gupta, A&M managing director and M&E data and AI lead. "We are excited to collaborate with IAB to address the evolving needs of digital advertisers as they continue to deliver tailored, innovative solutions for their clients.”

NEW YORK—A resurgence in live events and sports programming on streaming platforms, coupled with the expansion of self-serve and programmatic ad tools, helped CTV rebound with 16% year-over-year (YoY) growth in 2024, according to new data released by IAB.

The IAB’s “2025 Digital Video Ad Spend & Strategy Report: Part One,” also projects that digital video advertising is set to capture 58% of the TV/video ad spend in 2025 as it grows to $72 billion and that CTV advertising will hit $26.6 billion in 2025.

Linear TV's share will fall to 42%, down from a 48% share in 2024, which was the first year when digital video advertising surpassed linear TV.

“2024 was a pivotal year for digital video advertising. With high-quality content moving to streaming, advancements in advertising technology, and an influx of new inventory accelerated growth for both consumers and advertisers,” said David Cohen, CEO, IAB. “CTV is making it clear it’s a go-to channel for both viewers and advertisers and is expected to continue growing along with social video and online video.”

Now in its twelfth year, the report, developed in partnership with Advertiser Perceptions and Guideline, provides a comprehensive snapshot of the U.S. digital video marketplace across CTV, social video, and online video, surfacing how and where ad dollars are flowing and why.

This year’s findings underscore a clear shift in momentum as digital video is expected to capture 58% of total TV/video ad spend in 2025, double its share from just five years ago. This growth builds on a major turning point in 2024, when it surpassed linear TV for the first time. Digital video ad spend rose 18% in 2024 to $64 billion and is projected to grow another 14% in 2025, reaching $72 billion—two to three times faster than total media overall, the IAB reported.

“The video industry continues its transformative shift towards streaming driven by content, creators, technology, and improved measurement. However, it is important to acknowledge that ongoing economic uncertainty, including tariffs, geopolitical conflicts, and changing consumer confidence, the marketplace in 2025 is more difficult to predict than ever before,” added Cohen.

All three types of digital video, CTV, social video, and online video, are driving the overall channel’s trajectory, with each posting double-digit growth.

The report found that CTV advertising grew from $20.3 billion in 2023 to $23.6 billion in 2024, a 16% growth rate. The study is projecting that CTV advertising will hit $26.6 billion in 2025.

Social video advertising increased from $19.5 billion in 2023 to $23.7 billion, a 21% pop, and is projected to hit $27.2 billion in 2025, the study found.

Online Video increased by 17% from $14.2 billion in 2023 to $16.6 billion in 2024 and is projected to hit $18.6 billion in 2025.

“CTV and social video are core pillars of a brand’s comprehensive and integrated media strategy,” said Chris Bruderle, vice president of industry insights & content strategy, IAB. “Consumer attention has already moved to these platforms, and advertisers are meeting them there - not just for the scale, but for the ability to precisely target, measure performance across devices, and drive real business outcomes. These channels are now foundational to any effective media strategy.”

The IAB study also found that more categories are ramping up their digital video ad spend to connect with consumers where they watch content the most. In 2025, most major categories are set to increase digital video ad budgets by double-digits with CPG (13%), retail (18%), and pharma (19%) leading the way. These categories are capitalizing on advanced targeting, including AI-driven personalization, real-time insights, and shoppable ad formats to drive deeper engagement and more immediate consumer action.

Another major finding is that CTV is no longer just for brands with big budgets. With the rise of programmatic self-serve tools, small and mid-size businesses are stepping into the spotlight. In 2025, most of the dollars flowing into CTV are coming from reallocations—primarily from linear TV (36%), social media (36%), and other digital channels like online video, paid search, and display. This shift reflects growing confidence in CTV’s ability to deliver targeted, high-impact campaigns, now made even more accessible through programmatic and self-serve tools, the study found.

“The combination of self-service technology, accessible pricing, and the ability to link spend to outcomes has empowered small and mid-size businesses to get a piece of the CTV pie, making it easier and effective to promote, reach, and engage with audiences," Cohen concluded.

The IAB “2025 Digital Video Ad Spend & Strategy Report: Part One” report can be accessed here. Part two of the report, which will be released on July 14th during the IAB Media Center’s Video Leadership Summit, will focus on strategies behind these growth rates.

NEW YORK—Internet advertising revenues demonstrated strong growth in 2024, increasing 14.9% year-over-year to $258.6 billion, according to the “IAB Internet Advertising Revenue Report: Full Year 2024.”

The study, which showed the strongest gains since 2021, was conducted by PwC.

Digital video advertising was particularly strong, growing 19.2% to $62.1 billion, accounting for 24% of the digital ad market.

Search grew by 15.9% YoY to $102.9 billion giving it 39.8% of the total digital ad market.

Display was up 12.4% YoY to $74.3 billion (28.7% of the total) while social increased 36.7% to $88.7 billion (34.3% of total), podcast revenue was up 26.4% to $2.4 billion (0.9% of the market) and retail media grew by 23% YoY to $53.7 billion (20.8% of the total.)

“The U.S. digital ad industry showed remarkable strength in 2024. Despite the volatility from geopolitical shifts, interest rate changes, and economic uncertainty, major events like the Presidential Election and Olympics provided meaningful tailwinds,” said David Cohen, CEO, IAB. “As we look ahead to this year, there is no doubt that we will see an even more dynamic market driven by geopolitical and economic factors. There is absolutely growth to be had for those that embrace the volatility and innovate. Now is the time to future-proof your business by exploring new solutions that leverage the latest advancements in technology while ensuring that consumer privacy stays at the forefront.”

The study noted that digital video continued to be the fastest-growing format, now accounting for nearly a quarter of total ad revenue, reflecting consumer engagement with video content. Podcast advertising came back to strong growth, with a significant increase compared to 2023, over 26% vs. 5%, respectively. Social media saw renewed confidence amongst advertisers due to increased investment in user-generated content, creator-driven partnerships, and community-led spaces.

Commerce media, including retail media networks, continued its strong growth in 2024, with revenues rising 23% to $53.7 billion, as the critical importance of first-party data ecosystems positions it as a key pillar in media budgets as brands shift towards privacy-compliant audience targeting, the researchers said.

While the entire digital ecosystem grew, mid-tier media companies experienced the largest share growth, the study found. Market share among the top 11-25 media companies reached 11% in 2024, an increase of 3.1% since 2023. This growth highlights the rising influence of emerging digital platforms, democratizing the ad ecosystem where brands are allocating budgets beyond the largest platforms.

“The biggest shift in market share came from the mid-tier companies, growing at a greater rate than both the largest and the smallest players,” said Cohen. “These midsized companies are adopting new business models, encouraging creator engagement, and leveraging AI and data-driven insights to offer more personalized, cost-effective advertising solutions. As a result, we’re seeing renewed growth and a next generation market taking shape.”

“While digital advertising reached new heights in 2024, there are many forces that are quite literally transforming our industry in real time,” added Jack Koch, senior vice president, research & insights, iAB. “Next year we expect the industry to look quite different as media companies adopt new business models and lean heavily on AI, not only survive but thrive.”

Looking forward, the study made these predictions for 2024:

• AI-Driven Advertising: From Automation to Transformation: AI has evolved from a tool for automation to a transformative force in digital advertising, driven by generative and agentic models that can create content, make autonomous decisions, and manage campaigns end-to-end. These advancements are disrupting traditional ad channels like search, shifting from keyword bidding to native, conversational ad experiences embedded in AI-generated results. However, widespread adoption remains limited due to challenges with data readiness, tool fragmentation, and compliance. As AI takes over operational tasks, human creativity remains vital—pushing companies to redefine how technology and talent work together in the new media model.
• Creator Economy: Shifting to Long-Term Partnerships and Multi-Platform Expansion: The creator economy is thriving as brands shift from one-off influencer deals to long-term partnerships, aiming for more authentic, sustained engagement. Creators are expanding beyond social media into podcasts, newsletters, and retail partnerships, unlocking new monetization avenues. Short-form video dominates, but emerging platforms are reshaping consumer behavior and pushing brands to adapt. While platforms offer better revenue-sharing models, many creators still face challenges in a crowded space. Success hinges on authenticity, audience trust, and long-term strategy.
• Privacy & Regulation: The Rise of First-Party Data Strategies: The digital ad industry is shifting toward privacy-first strategies as signal loss and new state privacy laws limit user-level tracking. Brands are adopting first-party data, contextual targeting, and consent-based tools to stay compliant and effective. As consumers demand both protection and personalization, trust and transparency have become key competitive advantages.
• Streaming CTV, and Skinny Bundles: Monetizing in a Fragmented Landscape: As advertisers shift budgets from linear TV to streaming, ad-supported tiers from Netflix, Disney+, and Amazon Prime are expanding inventory while driving down CPMs. Live sports streaming on platforms like YouTube TV and Amazon is attracting ad dollars, while skinny bundles help reduce churn and boost ad-supported revenue. With increasing fragmentation, programmatic CTV and self-serve ad platforms are giving brands more control and efficiency in reaching engaged audiences.
• Business Model Reinvention: AI, commerce, and media are reshaping advertising, with brands adopting multi-platform strategies and AI-driven automation to stay competitive. Retail media networks offer high-intent audiences and closed-loop measurement, while new monetization models like subscription-based content and shoppable media are on the rise. As consumer habits evolve, many advertisers are expanding their presence across emerging networks to hedge against platform risk and maximize flexibility, giving brands a competitive edge in a fragmented market.

Click here to access the “IAB Internet Advertising Revenue Report: Full Year 2024.” Experts from IAB, PwC, and MAGNA will discuss key findings and trends from the report during a webinar on April 24^th, at 2pm ET. Register here.

NEW YORK—AI is set to transform the advertising industry, but the industry still has a ways to go in adoption, according to new research from the IAB.

The study is particularly notable because it povides the first-ever industry benchmarks on AI usage, adoption rates, and perceptions as well as challenges, opportunities, and future needs within the media campaign lifecycle.

One major finding is that to date, only 30% of agencies, brands, and publishers have fully integrated AI across the media campaign lifecycle. The data also success that the initial focus of AI usage is clearly on driving efficiency, as nearly twice as many agencies and publishers have fully scaled AI compared to brands.

The new report, “State of Data 2025: The Now, The Near, and The Next Evolution of AI for Media Campaigns” was designed to evaluate market readiness for AI transformation, and created by IAB in partnership with BWG Global and Transparent Partners. It surveyed over 500 subject matter experts across the buy- and sell-sides of the industry.

“While AI has long been used for yield management, optimization, and automation, the explosion of generative and agentic AI solutions will radically alter the entire digital media ecosystem. AI will soon power every aspect of media campaigns, not to mention its impact on the creative process.” said David Cohen, CEO, IAB. “We must fundamentally rethink how agencies, brands, platforms and publishers work — which is both incredibly exciting and challenging at the same time.”

Despite a slow start, the researchers reported that half of those who haven't yet fully integrated AI expect to do it by 2026. But the study also reveals that half the industry lacks a strategic roadmap for AI.

“The industry isn’t taking full advantage of what AI can do now. It can build media plans, generate audience segments, select media partners, forecast performance, and even use synthetic or “fake” data to enhance marketing mix modeling and sales attribution” said Angelina Eng, VP Measurement, Addressability & Data Center, IAB. “This will transform how media campaigns are conceived, executed, and managed from start to finish. It will happen fast, and laggards are at risk of being left behind. This report will help the industry develop the roadmaps they need to leap from AI-assisted workflows to the complete integration that will unlock AI’s full potential.”

In terms of what is holding the industry back, the report offered some interesting conclusions.

Contrary to popular assumptions, job security is the least of the industry’s concerns at just 37%. The industry recognizes that AI requires a strong foundation before it can take on human tasks and realize its potential.

Nearly two-thirds cite the quality of the data being used and produced, the protection of that data, and fragmentation among disparate tools as top barriers for AI adoption.

The study also found that there are fears about transparency. Half of brands worry they don’t have enough transparency about how agency and publishing partners use AI on their behalf, and half of agencies worry about brands bringing their AI capabilities in-house and reducing their reliance on partners.

In another notable finding, the study asked about eighteen different solutions ranging from clear use cases, formal training, defined KPIs specifically for AI solutions, formal assessment of workflows, to governance boards to address concerns and challenges.

The survey found, however, that at most, only 49% are using or planning to use any one of them.

Eng concludes, “The study suggests that agencies, brands, and publishers need to take a phased approach to AI adoption, ensuring that data inputs and outputs are secure and of high quality. They also need to train teams on best practices, collaborate with the industry to develop standards, and prioritize key use cases to establish a strong foundation for full-scale adoption. There is already a lot of catching up to do, and AI capabilities are leaping even further ahead almost daily. There’s no time to waste.”

The report, IAB State of Data 2025: The Now, The Near, and The Next Evolution of AI for Media Campaigns, is available here.

A series of four webinars on this vital subject will begin March 24. To register for the IAB State of Data Webinar: AI in the Media Campaign Lifecycle click here.

In addition, IAB is releasing a companion guide to the report that provides tactical recommendations for integrating AI into day-to-day media planning, activation, and analysis.

NEW YORK—Despite record-breaking ad revenues in 2024 fueled by massive political spending and the Olympics, a new Internet Advertising Bureau (IAB) survey indicates buyers are bullish on both the prospects for increased ad spending in 2025 and the usage of new technologies like generative AI.

The new IAB study, “2025 Outlook: A Snapshot Into Ad Spend, Opportunities and Strategies for Growth,” is based on a survey of buyers at brands and agencies. It found that buyers expected double-digit growth in connected TV, social media and retail media. While overall ad-spend growth is projected to be lower than 2024, when it surged due to the Olympics and the presidential election, it remains positive with an anticipated modest growth of 7.3%.

Much stronger growth is expected in retail media, which buyers said is projected to grow at more than twice the rate of spend overall (15.6%) as well as CTV (13.8%) and social (11.9%).

“This report clearly shows that budgets are being focused at the points where consumers, commerce, and video converge—where advertisers can leverage the power of sight, sound, and motion and consumers can engage or transact,” IAB CEO David Cohen said. “Advertisers are starting the year looking for growth, and investing in channels that drive the most meaningful business results.”

The survey also covered buyers’ goals and strategies in a period that continues to be plagued by inflation, fragmentation and persistent measurement challenges. It found that buyers’ goals, as in previous years, span the entire purchase funnel. But customer acquisition remains the top priority, increasing 12% year-over-year as buyers seek revenue growth to offset shrinking margins from ongoing inflation.

Buyers surveyed also expressed ongoing concerns about deduplication, incrementality and measurement. That’s particularly so in video streaming, where the growth buyers are excited about also fuels their top concern—cross-platform measurement, the report said.

In addition, the survey also found that the adoption of generative AI in media planning is growing, with nearly eight in 10 buyers already using (42%) or exploring (36%) the technology for media planning and/or activation. Half of users already insist on mandatory human oversight and clear brand-safety protocols to protect against misuse, inaccuracies, and other risks.

While the excitement for Gen AI is high, it is still early days for the companies leveraging it, the study stressed. Only one-third of companies using generative AI have organized, collaborative resources in their organizations. There is still a lot of opportunity for companies to drive efficiencies and growth.

“Thoughtful buyer optimism is always a good way to start the year,” Cohen continued. “And the smartest way for the industry to keep that alive is to give advertisers the transparency, choice, and business results they’re looking for. The market waits for no one—we must keep pushing forward.”

The full “2025 Outlook: A Snapshot into Ad Spend, Opportunities, and Strategies for Growth” study is available here.

NEW YORK—A new report from IAB highlights many of the major trends transforming the ad business, including data suggesting that 89% of ad buyers are embracing alternative measurement currencies, as well as some of the ongoing problems facing the digital advertising business. 

The newly released second half of its “2024 IAB Digital Video Ad Spend & Strategy Report,” revealed that the three major digital video channels will see increased spend in 2024 and that buyers are investing across all video content types, from short-form to long-form to creator and immersive. Short-form (69%) and vertical-format (68%) account for the largest share of buyers.

The report also highlighted, however, ongoing problems with measurement. Two in three buyers cite measurement issues with small advertisers aiming for niche audiences rather than broad reach are significantly more likely to report issues. 

“The industry has bought, transacted, and measured against reach since the beginning of time,” said Cintia Gabilan, Vice President, Media Center, IAB. “But now business outcomes are the most important metrics to assess success, with reach and frequency coming in second. However, measurement is not yet where it needs to be. Two-thirds of buyers cite issues across nine key areas of measurement.”

Key insights from part two of the report include:

• Three-Quarters of CTV Buying Is Now Programmatic. Within that, activation is roughly equal among the real-time bidding (RTB) / open exchanges (36%), private marketplaces (PMP) / preferred deals / programmatic guaranteed (34%), and ad networks (30%).
• Buyers Are Spending More Across All Video Channels and Content Types. Part one of the report, released earlier this year, revealed that the three major digital video channels will see increased spend in 2024. Part two reveals that buyers are investing across all video content types, from short-form to long-form to creator and immersive. Short-form (69%) and vertical-format (68%) account for the largest share of buyers.
• Performance Advertising Needs Better Measurement. Business outcomes like sales, store/site visits, and leads are now the most important KPI for buyers, across all channels — social video (64%), online video (58%), and connected TV / CTV (54%). Yet two in three buyers cite measurement issues. In particular, small advertisers aiming for niche audiences rather than broad reach are significantly more likely to report issues with viewability, standardized targets, currency, and obtaining sell-side data. Streaming networks hoping to further tap the “long tail” will need to boost buyer confidence.
• Alternative Measurement Currencies Are Now Widely Used. The report found that the industry is continuing to evolve beyond strictly panel-based, gross rating points (GRP) ratings. 89% of advertisers are transacting, testing, or having discussions with alternative currency measurement vendors. Buyers value multi-screen attribution (45%) and real-time reporting (43%), and 28% of buyers are already transacting on alternative currencies. 

“As the saying goes, ‘with great power comes great responsibility’,” said David Cohen, CEO, IAB. “With the continued impressive growth of digital video comes demands for better measurement, viewability, standardized data, and placement transparency. The video ecosystem must fully commit to innovation, especially in measurement.”

The full “2024 IAB Digital Video Ad Spend & Strategy Report” is available here.

Missed any of our product coverage during your busy week? The TV Tech weekly product and services news wrap-up provides links to all of our coverage from May 13 to May 17, with the most recent news listed first, day by day from Friday back to Monday. 

If Bundling Is Back, What’s the Ideal Bundle?

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IAB Tech Labs, Google Partner on New First Party Data Solution

In a notable development in the industry-wide effort to address privacy concerns while improving efficacy of marketing efforts in a cookieless ad landscape, IAB Tech Lab has launched IAB Tech Lab PAIR.

Matthews Launches New Multipurpose Grip Rail Telescopic Grid Pipe Solution

Matthews Studio Equipment has introduced Grip Rail, which the company said offers a better way to mount equipment on location, in the studio, or on the fly.

Dish TV and Hughes Debut New Bundled Services

Echostar’s Dish Network and Hughes Network Systems have announced a new bundled service offering that is designed to improve the connectivity and entertainment options in rural America with programming from Dish combined with the Hughesnet satellite internet service.

Netflix Ad Tier Hits 40M Monthly Active Users

During Netflix's second Upfront presentation to advertisers, Amy Reinhard, Netflix’s president of advertising, walked advertisers through the continued growth of Netflix’s ad-supported plan, which now has 40 million global monthly active users, up from 5 million a year ago.

ESPN, Fox, WBD Unveil Name for New Sports Streaming Service

More than three months after announcing plans to launch a major new sports streaming service, ESPN, Fox Corp. and Warner Bros. Discovery, have finally given the service a name: “Venu Sports”.

Telestream Taps Power of AI to Manage, Define Media Workflows

TV Tech recently sat down with Telestream CEO Rhonda Bassett-Spiers and CTO Simon Clark to discuss how the M&E industry is adapting the cloud, IP and AI to enhance and simplify media workflows.

WBD Unveils Advanced Advertising Features for Max

During its upfronts presentation, Warner Bros. Discovery announced a suite of new advanced ad products available on Max, that include shoppable ads, advanced contextual targeting and interactive video formats.

Disney+ Debuts First Concert Film to Stream with IMAX Enhanced Sound

Disney+, IMAX Corporation, and DTS have announced that “Queen Rock Montreal” is now streaming on Disney+, making it the first concert film to be streamed with IMAX Enhanced sound powered by DTS, the companies said.

Sony Pictures Post Production Services Completes Sound Facilities Expansion

Sony Pictures Post Production Services has announced that the final phase of a multi-year effort to expand and modernize its motion picture and television sound facilities has been completed.

ATEME Integrates Advanced HDR by Technicolor into TITAN Encoders

Encoder specialist ATEME has integrated Advanced HDR by Technicolor into its TITAN video compression solution, Technicolor said.

Comcast Plans Peacock, Netflix, Apple TV+ Streaming Bundle

Comcast is planning to begin offering a new streaming bundle of Peacock, Netflix and Apple TV+ sometime later this month at a “vastly reduced price,” Comcast chairman and CEO Brian Roberts said at the MoffettNathanson Media conference in NYC on May 14th.

OpenVault Harnesses Generative AI to Improve Broadband Networks

OpenVault has released new details about how it is leveraging the power of Generative AI to significantly and securely expand the capabilities of its Proactive Network Maintenance (PNM), Profile Management Application (PMA) and other troubleshooting solutions for broadband networks.

Chyron Releases Enhancements For LIVE Cloud Production Platform

https://www.tvtechnology.com/news/chyron-releases-enhancements-for-live-cloud-production-platform

Chyron has released a series of updates for its LIVE cloud-native production platform.

PBS Stations to Gain Access to Nielsen Local Dashboards

PBS has received a significant grant from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) to provide PBS Member Stations with Nielsen Local Dashboards, providing in-depth audience data.

NEW YORK—In the runup to the 2024 IAB NewFronts, the IAB has announced three key appointments to its leadership team.

The appointments to the digital advertising trade group include Cintia Gabilan, a seasoned professional who’s held senior roles at Amazon, Meta, and Unilever, who is stepping into the position of vice president at the IAB Media Center. Joining her is Arlene Mu, former chief privacy officer and assistant general counsel at Lowe’s, who will assume the position of assistant general counsel at IAB. 

In addition, industry veteran Nadine Karp McHugh has been appointed as the new IAB executive in residence. Karp McHugh’s illustrious career, including stints at Goldman Sachs, SeeHer, Colgate, Ogilvy, Mindshare, and L’Oréal, brings invaluable brand marketing and agency insights to IAB.

Gabilan will lead one of IAB’s most critical areas of focus as vice president of its Media Center, right in time for the 2024 IAB NewFronts (April 29 – May 2) and the 2024 IAB Podcast Upfront (May 9), the group said. She will report to Pam Zucker, senior vice president, chief strategy officer.

“The Media Center is part of the heart and soul of IAB, working with hundreds of publishers and marketplace participants to ensure a bright and vibrant future for the streaming video and audio ecosystem” said David Cohen, CEO, IAB. “Some of the most meaningful IAB marketplaces, like the IAB NewFronts and IAB Podcast Upfront, are led by the IAB Media Center, and Cintia will undoubtedly bring a fresh perspective to the market. With experience working on the brand, agency, and media sides of our ecosystem, Cintia will quickly become an important fixture in the IAB community.”

Most recently, Gabilan spearheaded major initiatives as global head of executive, analyst, and trade relations marketing at Amazon Ads. There, she led transformative strategies, including Customer Advisory Boards and Competitive Intelligence programs. Before this, Gabilan honed her expertise during her tenure at Meta (Facebook), spanning nearly a decade.

Gabilan also held leadership roles within renowned global ad agencies such as Wunderman Thompson and dentsu, as well as at CPG giant Unilever.

Arlene Mu joins IAB as assistant general counsel. Mu's arrival coincides with a critical moment for the industry, as data privacy legislation continues to sweep the nation and shape digital advertising.

“Amidst escalating data privacy obligations and the need for collaboration in the industry to better protect consumers, Arlene's addition to IAB couldn't be more timely,” said Michael Hahn, executive vice president and general counsel, IAB. "With her extensive experience in retail and the growth of retail media networks, Arlene brings a unique perspective. As we navigate the complexities of promoting responsible data practices in digital advertising, her legal counsel and understanding of privacy will be invaluable. Arlene’s insights will play a crucial role in our efforts toward creating a safer and compliant digital environment for consumers and IAB members."

Mu comes to IAB from Lowe's Companies Inc., where she held the position of assistant general counsel and chief privacy officer. Her responsibilities included guiding the company through the complexities of privacy regulations, particularly in the context of marketing and the burgeoning field of retail media. During her tenure, she played a critical role in driving Lowe’s key digital marketing initiatives and retail media network establishment, contributing to the company's growth and compliance strategies amidst the notable 16.3% year-over-year increase in advertising revenues in the retail media sector, which reached $43.7 billion in 2023.

Now, at IAB, Mu will collaborate closely with Michael Hahn on crucial industry legal projects, including the IAB Multi-State Privacy Agreement (MSPA), the Privacy Implementation and Accountability Task Force (PIAT), and the Clean Rooms Privacy Working Group. Her in-depth understanding of privacy regulations and hands-on experience in retail media will be invaluable as she continues to drive legal initiatives that shape the future of digital advertising, leading up to IAB’s Connected Commerce Summit on September 17-18, 2024.

Additionally, IAB welcomes Nadine Karp McHugh – a renowned leader boasting extensive experience in both brand marketing and agency leadership – as its executive in residence.

Throughout her career, Karp McHugh has occupied prominent positions in marketing and media across various sectors. Notably, she recently served as managing director, global media at Goldman Sachs. Before this, she held key positions at industry-leading brands such as L'Oréal and Colgate-Palmolive. Her journey has included significant contributions across WPP agencies, including leading Unilever's U.S. business and serving as Chief Client Officer at MindShare New York. Karp McHugh's commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion led her to the role of President of SeeHer, a nonprofit designed to drive accurate portrayals of all women and girls within marketing and media. A distinguished TedX speaker known for her impactful presence in marketing and media, Karp McHugh has received numerous accolades, such as Ad Age’s Women to Watch and Media Maven awards.

"Nadine is an incredible addition to our team, bringing years of brand experience and a unique perspective,” said Sheryl Goldstein, executive vice president, chief industry growth officer, IAB. “With a focus on DEI, leadership, and creativity, Nadine will undoubtedly serve as a valuable resource for our members providing strategic direction for brand engagement.”

“In welcoming Cintia Gabilan and Arlene Mu to its executive ranks, alongside Nadine Karp McHugh, IAB solidifies its commitment to driving innovation, diversity, and responsible practices across the digital industry,” says Cohen. “With their combined leadership, IAB stands poised to meet the challenges and opportunities shaping the digital advertising ecosystem head-on, ensuring collaboration, progress and collective growth.”

$225 billion: That’s how high U.S. digital advertising revenues were in 2023, according to the newly released “IAB Internet Advertising Revenue Report: Full Year 2023,” compiled by PwC. According to the IAB (Interactive Advertising Bureau) report, these revenues increased by 7.3% year-over-year overall (YoY) between 2022 and 2023. The IAB report also found that Q4 2023 saw the highest growth rate of 12.3% from the year prior (4.4%), with revenues rising to $64.5 billion.

“Despite inflation fears, interest rates at record highs, and continuing global unrest, the U.S. digital advertising industry continued its growth trajectory in 2023,” said IAB CEO David Cohen. “With significant industry transformation unfolding right before our eyes, we believe that those channels with a portfolio of privacy-by-design solutions will continue to outpace the market.”

The biggest channel for growth during 2023 was audio digital advertising, which grew 18.9% to reach $7 billion. According to IAB, audio is still the fastest growing channel, although at a slower pace than last year.

Retail Media digital advertising revenues were another growth area. This channel experienced 16.3% YoY growth in advertising revenues in 2023, reaching $43.7 billion. According to IAB, major e-commerce players are all expanding their retail media platforms to enable future growth.

Video advertising revenue saw double digit (10.6%) YoY growth as well, rising to $52.1 billion in 2023. 42% of this revenue was generated by CTV and OTT (over the top/streaming). While this increase was less than in 2022, IAB expects the combination of CTV/OTT to be the fastest growing media channel in 2024, especially as ad-supported streaming services are capturing a larger share of consumer attention. 

After slowing in 2022, social media advertising revenues regained strength with 8.7% YoY growth, increasing to $64.9 billion in 2023. Revenues in the second half of 2023 accounted for $4.1 of the total $5.1 billion increase over the previous year.

Meanwhile, although digital advertising revenues for search ($88.8 billion) and display ($66.1 billion) remain high, both showed relatively modest annual growth rates during 2023. Search was at 5.2% and display at 4% YoY growth respectively.

IAB expects the trends that drove the digital advertising market last year to continue to affect it in 2024. As well, IAB points to privacy-preserving advertising practices; social media combinations of social commerce, reality technology, and influencer marketing; and generative AI as factors shaping the U.S. digital advertising environment.

“Looking ahead, while there are no shortage of challenges, there are also strong opportunities in sports streaming, creator-based marketing, retail media networks, and beyond,” said Jack Koch, IAB’s senior vice president of research and insights. “2023 is proof that the industry can stay resilient in the face of change.”

NEW YORK—IAB has released its annual report, “State of Data 2024: How the Digital Ad Industry is Adapting to the Privacy-by-Design Ecosystem,” which reveals substantial operational and financial adjustments being undertaken by the digital ecosystem as it moves towards a privacy-by-design architecture.

The study, conducted by IAB in partnership with BWG Strategy, surveyed over 500 advertising and data experts at brands, agencies, and publishers. The study found that the move to Privacy-by-Design, which refers to efforts to integrate privacy into the design of products, services and systems, is prompting substantial operational and financial adjustments being undertaken by the digital ecosystem.

“The meaningful investments being made are proof positive of the industry’s commitment to a privacy-first orientation,” said David Cohen, CEO, IAB. “Executives are taking notice and funding the right initiatives for the next stage of industry growth”.

Key findings from the study include:

• The researchers said that nearly all (95%) advertising and data decision-makers at brands, agencies, and publishers "expect continued signal loss and/or privacy legislation in 2024 and beyond."
• The industry is investing in hiring new Subject Matter Experts (SMEs), updating training for their staff, creating dedicated teams, expanding their legal expertise, leveraging new technologies, and increasing first-party data efforts.
• Additionally, 82% of the respondents said the makeup and structure of their organizations have been impacted by legislation and signal loss. Nearly 80% are training or planning to train their staff directly in data/privacy-related topics, while half of companies are creating or planning to create dedicated teams/departments (49%) and hiring or planning to hire external SMEs (48%).
• Respondents believe the new paradigm will challenge targeting, personalization, and measurement.
• More than half expect it to be harder to track conversions overall (55%), post-view conversions (52%), attribute campaign/channel performance (55%), measure ROI (55%), make optimizations (50%), and measure frequency (50%) and reach (47%). Nearly nine-in-ten ad buyers report shifts in personalization tactics, ad spend, and their mix of first, second, and third-party data. Over three-in-four cite selection changes in media channels and KPIs, along with more seller-direct deals.
• To improve data quality, brands, agencies, and publishers are turning to first-party data and data-enrichment tools.
• The study found that 71% of brands, agencies, and publishers are currently or planning to grow their first-party datasets, nearly twice the rate of just two years ago (41%).

“To tackle data quality challenges, it's crucial for brands, agencies, and publishers to continue to adopt innovative analytical methods including Artificial Intelligence (AI), machine learning, and media mix modeling that are less dependent on tracking signals and third-party cookies,” said Angelina Eng, vice president of Measurement, Addressability & Data Center, IAB.

The study also focused on how the shift to privacy-by-design is transforming media planning and buying. It found that ad spending that taps first-party data and engages audiences at scale are being prioritized. Nearly nine-in-ten ad buyers report a shift in message personalization strategies (89%), ad investment costs (87%), and over three-in-four cite selection changes in media channels (81%) and KPIs (79%), along with more seller-direct deals.

Ad buyers are also shifting budgets to Connected TV, retail media, search, and social networks which rely less on cookies, provide access to valuable first-party data and precise targeting, and contain embedded measurement.

The study also found that overhauling and reinventing data processes is a costly sea change that will hurt small and medium-sized publishers and favor larger companies. 

Large companies are investing more in identity anonymization training (79%) than small companies (64%). They are also investing more in training in privacy-preserving technologies (62%) — which can cost over $2 million annually — than small companies (44%).

Signal loss is already pushing advertising budgets toward closed ecosystems at a moment when independent publishers can least afford to lose revenue. 

“The industry’s embrace of privacy-by-design is the right thing for the industry and consumers alike,” Eng continued. “But if small independent publishers aren’t protected, the vibrant, independent open web that consumers love is at serious risk.”

The study, State of Data 2024: How the Digital Ad Industry is Adapting to the Privacy-by-Design Ecosystem can be downloaded here. 

NEW YORK—The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) has named John Halley, president, Paramount Advertising, Paramount as the new chair of the trade organization’s Board of Directors. Halley has served on the board since March 2021, most recently as the vice chair.

Halley takes on the role that was held by Alysia Borsa, chief business officer and president of lifestyle, health and finance, at Dotdash Meredith. Borsa will continue to remain on the IAB Board and on the Executive Committee. Additionally, Shenan Reed, global chief media officer of General Motors, will move into the role of vice chair.

“The strength of IAB — and the strength of our industry — depends on our ability to attract the very best talent to our Board. John and Shenan bring a wealth of experience, a readiness to confront the industry’s toughest challenges, and a thirst for innovation that is inspirational. This year will be meaningful as we are grappling with trends defining the digital ecosystem, from the seismic shift in privacy and addressability, AI, unified identity and the retirement of third-party cookies. I'm so pleased to welcome them aboard,” said David Cohen, CEO, IAB.

“I am eager to work alongside Alysia, David, Shenan, and the rest of the board to ensure we are helping all stakeholders improve and evolve the digital ecosystem during such a critical time,” said Halley. “IAB is doing important work, and I look forward to contributing additional perspective as we map our path to the future.”

“The trajectory of digital growth hinges on the strategic decisions we make today,” said Reed. “Collaborating with John, David, and the entire IAB Board on the intriguing challenges ahead, we will have an increased emphasis placed on initiatives supporting sustainability, diversity, and breakthrough creativity at scale. Our choices now pave the way for better consumer experiences with media, and a markedly different industry by 2030.”

New members of the IAB Board of Directors elected to a three-year term include:

●       Kristi Argyilan, Senior Vice President, Retail Media, Albertsons Media Collective

●       Michael Scott, Vice President of Ad Sales and Operations NA, Samsung Ads

●       Jason Spero, Vice President, Global Product Lead, Google

Current board members re-elected for a new three-year term include:

●       Alysia Borsa, Chief Business Officer and President of Lifestyle, Health & Finance, Dotdash Meredith

●       Patrick Harris, President, Americas and Partnerships, Snap

●       Lisa Howard, Global Chief Revenue Officer, Hearst Magazines

●       Norm Johnston, Global Head of Advertising Strategy, NewsCorp

●       Joy Robins, Global Chief Advertising Officer, The New York Times

●       Kya Sainsbury-Carter, Corporate Vice President, Microsoft Advertising

●       Aaron Sobol, Head of Media Investment, U.S., Unilever

The IAB Board of Directors is also comprised of the following members:

●       Sheri Bachstein, Chief Executive Officer and General Manager, The Weather Channel and IBM Watson Advertising

●       Dani Benowitz, President, U.S. and Global, MAGNA Global (IPG Mediabrands)

●       Alvin Bowles, Vice President, Global Business Group – Americas, Meta

●       Deva Bronson, Executive Vice President, Global Head of Brand Assurance, dentsu

●       Rajeev Goel, Co-Founder & Chief Executive Officer, PubMatic

●       Ryan Gould, Head of Digital Ad Sales, Warner Bros. Discovery

●       Elizabeth Herbst-Brady, Chief Revenue Officer, Yahoo

●       Scott Howe, Chief Executive Officer, LiveRamp

●       Jia Hyun, Vice President, Head of Strategic Accounts, LinkedIn

●       Todd Kaplan, Chief Marketing Officer – Pepsi, PepsiCo

●       Craig Kostelic, Chief Business Officer, Global Commercial Revenue, Condé Nast

●       Alison Levin, President, Advertising & Partnerships, NBCUniversal

●       Helen Lin, Chief Digital Officer, Publicis Media

●       Alan Moss, Vice President, Global Ad Sales, Amazon Ads

●       Susan Schiekofer, Chief Digital Investment Officer, GroupM

●       Donna Speciale, President of U.S Advertising Sales and Marketing, TelevisaUnivision

●       David Spector, Co-Founder, ThirdLove

●       Sarah Travis, President, Roundel - Media Designed by Target

●       John Trimble, Chief Advertising Revenue Officer, SiriusXM

●       Lisa Valentino, Executive Vice President, Client Solutions & Addressable Enablement, Disney Advertising

●       Joe Zawadzki, General Partner, AperiamVentures

Ex-officio members include:

●       Miranda Dimopoulos, Regional Chief Executive Officer, IAB SEA & India

●       Townsend Feehan, Chief Executive Officer, IAB Europe

●       Rich LeFurgy, General Partner, Archer Advisors

●       David Moore, Chairman, 4screen

●       Randall Rothenberg, Limitless Partner, Randall, Ltd.

●       John Toohey, Senior Vice President of Finance, Cumulus Media (Treasurer)

IAB Executive Committee includes:

●       Alysia Borsa, Chief Business Officer and President of Lifestyle, Health & Finance, Dotdash Meredith

●       David Cohen, Chief Executive Officer, IAB

●       Gina Garrubbo, Chief Executive Officer, National Public Media

●       John Halley, President, Paramount Advertising

●       Peter Naylor, Vice President of Sales, Netflix

●       Shenan Reed, Global Chief Media Officer, General Motors

The new board slate was formally announced at the 2024 IAB Annual Leadership Meeting (ALM). For more information about the IAB Board of Directors, please visit iab.com/boardofdirectors.

NEW YORK—Despite a economic headwinds and cutbacks in podcasting efforts by some media companies, podcasting continues to be one of the fastest growing digital channels, growing two times faster than digital advertising overall, according to IAB’s "U.S. Podcast Advertising 2022 Revenue & 2023-2025 Growth Projections" study. 

The seventh annual IAB U.S. Podcast Advertising Revenue study, prepared for IAB by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (PwC), found that 2022 podcasting ad revenue was up 26% year over year to 1.8 billion. The report also predicts that revenues will more than double by 2025 to $4 billion. 

The report found that Sports, Society & Culture, and Comedy are now the top revenue-generating content genres, with Sports snapping up 15% of podcast advertising, followed by Society & Culture (14%), and Comedy (14%). Meanwhile News and political opinion content fell from a 19% share to 12%.

“In-person sports, lifestyle events, and in-store shopping have come back in a big way, taking the lead from news which held the top revenue genre spot since 2018,” said Eric John, vice president, Media Center, IAB. “Podcasting revenue naturally reflects that shift in consumer behavior and it will be interesting to watch how the balance changes going forward.”

The researchers also found that podcasting continues to evolve as an ideal medium for niche audiences, attracting advertisers in a wide range of categories including Advocacy, Education, Home Improvement, and beyond. These smaller categories, collectively, are driving 28% of all revenues.

“Both mass and niche advertisers like the audiences, targeting, and ROI along with the brand-safe and suitable environments that podcasting offers,” added John.

The full report can be accessed here. 

NEW YORK—Digital video advertising continues to race ahead of other media, with a new report from the IAB showing that the digital video advertising spend increased 21% in 2022 to $47.1 billion and is projected to rise an additional 17% to $55.2 billion in 2023.

The data is from IAB’s “2022 Video Ad Spend & 2023 Outlook: Defining the Next Generation” report, which found that while there has been real progress in how the TV/video advertising marketplace is transacted, measured, and defined, a number of key issues still lack consensus.

One key takeaway from the report is that premium content is being redefined. Nearly two-thirds (64%) of TV/video buyers agree that creator-driven video can be considered premium. The largest-spending buyers are even more likely to agree (69%). What’s more, two-in-three buyers (66%) use the same measurement approaches for creator economy video as they do for “Hollywood”-produced video.

“Beauty has always been in the eye of the beholder,” said Eric John, vice president, Media Center, IAB. “That truism is playing out now in the world of video advertising as we see marketers and brands focusing and optimizing their spend not only in the traditional world of premium content, but also in the diverse, multiplatform world of creator content.”

The report also found that buyers want a multi-currency video marketplace by 2025. An overwhelming majority (81%) of TV/video buyers say they want two or more unified currencies for impression measurement, and among those, 92% estimate that it will happen in the next two years. Yet the lack of buyer consensus on how to define currency threatens progress. Slightly more than half (52%) want viewable impressions defined by cumulative view-time, while 48% want continuous view-time. The lack of consensus extends to the number of seconds, with 32% wanting three minimum seconds for viewability, 24% wanting five seconds, and 19% wanting four seconds, the researchers noted. 

“As urgently as buyers want a multi-currency future, there’s no question that changing a market as large as video takes time; however, the clock is ticking,” said David Cohen, CEO, IAB. “To make significant progress, buyers need to come together and align on what they need, and sellers across the diverse video ecosystem need to be part of the conversation. We are optimistic about the conversations currently taking place and will continue to advocate for universal standards, transparency, interoperability, and collaboration across the industry.”

Another highlight is that CTV and social video are must-buys. With TV/video buyers prioritizing media channels where audiences are addressable, connected TV (CTV) continues to be one of the fastest growing channels in terms of digital video ad spend — up 22% in 2022, and 37% faster than short-form video from web and app-based publishers. Buyers say CTV is a must-buy (65%), as is social video (64%).

In addition, the researchers report that TV/video buyers are increasingly focusing on attention metrics, with more than nine-in-ten (93%) using at least one method to gauge consumer attention. Half (51%) of buyers are applying biometric attention metrics to their campaigns. The biometric attention metric most utilized is eye-tracking — being used by one-third (34%) of buyers — but other metrics, including thermal scanning, pulse, heart rate, and beyond, are being leveraged.

“Buyers want to know if the audience is paying attention, and they’re making buying decisions accordingly,” added John. “

Buyers want engaged audiences watching video content of all stripes, including premium and creator-driven video. They want currencies they can trust. That’s where the industry is going — the question now is how fast we will get there.”

The full report is available here.  

NEW YORK—After record-breaking growth in 2021, internet advertising revenue has slowed but still delivered double-digit growth in 2022 according to the newly released “IAB Internet Advertising Revenue Report: Full Year 2022,” conducted by PwC.

Between 2021 and 2022, internet advertising revenues grew 10.8% year-over-year (YoY) totaling $209.7 billion, and overall revenues increased $20.4 billion YoY. Q1 saw the highest growth of 21.1%, followed by Q2 at 11.8%, resulting in ad revenues for the first half of the year surpassing $100 billion for the first time. Revenues, however, slowed in Q3 (8.4%) and Q4 (4.4%) as the economy began to cool.  

Digital video advertising continued to see impressive growth. In 2022, digital video revenues totaled $47.1 billion, up 22.5% from $29.5 billion in 2021 and $26.2 billion in 2020. 

"After unprecedented growth in 2021, we expected more moderation in 2022. Economic uncertainty, geo-political unrest, a shifting regulatory environment, and addressability changes have all contributed to  revenue growing at a slower pace," said David Cohen, CEO, IAB. "Looking ahead, there is definitely still growth to be had, but it will be harder to achieve and likely less than we have become accustomed to."

Other key highlights include: 

• In 2022 digital audio revenues hit $5.9 billion. 
• Programmatic advertising revenues grew by $10.4 billion, bringing the total number to $109.4 billion, an increase of 10.5% YoY.
• Market share of the top 10 companies has declined, but they still accounted for $76.8% of the market.  The 2022 decrease in the share of ad revenue among the top 10 companies was the first time that has occurred since 2016.
• Social media revenue growth has slowed. While first half revenues of 2022 grew (+$1.8 billion YoY); second half revenues plateaued at $31.4 billion (+$0.3 billion YoY).The implementation of Apple’s App Tracking Transparency (ATT) has impacted total revenue.
• Mobile advertising revenues grew 14.1% YoY. Revenues hit a record high of $154.1 billion: the continued increase in consumption of digital audio formats such as podcasts, plus the rollout of 5G and its beneficial impact on VR and AR advertising capabilities, are likely to continue to drive mobile ad revenues in 2023.
• Search revenue grew 7.8%, but overall market share continues to decrease. While search revenue grew 7.8% YoY, its overall market share continues to decrease as buying shifts to digital video and display.

“Advertisers are diversifying their spending to target audiences using fewer identifiable data points,” said Jack Koch, senior vice president of research and insights, IAB. “Digital video, digital audio, and the long-tail of publishers are benefiting.”

Looking forward, the group noted that 2023 promises to be a challenging year. 

One area highlighted by the report was how privacy and regulation are changing advertising. Companies need to adapt to state-level privacy regulations enforced this year in California, Virginia, Colorado, Connecticut, and Utah (and, effective January 1, 2025, Iowa), along with consumers’ worries about their data that resulted in privacy legislation and signal loss. 

The researchers also noted that the advertising industry is witnessing a shift towards solutions that can leverage their first-party data. This has resulted in the continued growth in connected TV (CTV) and retail media networks (RMNs), as these channels provide advertisers with a way to reach specific audiences with relevant ads at scale.

In addition, E-commerce and media companies are also working hand-in-hand to develop new ways to target and measure the effectiveness of advertising, including shoppable ads, affiliate marketing, and direct-to-consumer advertising, the IAB said. 

The status of premium content is also in flux, the group noted. While "premium" content once meant "Hollywood production" value, it's now more than ever in the eyes of the beholder. Viewer attention is shifting to content that can match specific interests - regardless of the production value, format, or screen - and creator content is now viewed as premium by many, the report noted. 

“2023 promises to be a challenging year. But this industry, more than most, is galvanized by change,” added Cohen. “The job now is identifying where the areas of growth are going to be, follow the consumer and develop solutions that meet and exceed their needs.”

IAB Internet Advertising Revenue Report: Full Year 2022 can be downloaded here. 

NEW YORK—Three major trade associations in the advertising industry are launching a joint effort to update and overhaul the Standard Terms & Conditions for internet advertising, which were first developed in May 2001 and updated in 2010 and 2018. 

The leading industry trade bodies 4A's, IAB, and ANA said they will create a joint Task Force in April 2023 that will include all stakeholders including advertising agencies, marketers, publishers, and ad tech companies. 

"The industry has a legacy of collaboration to ensure that the buy side and sell side align on best practices and standards for an effective digital advertising ecosystem. While there have been updates, it's time to revisit the approach and ensure we collectively address evolving needs in the marketplace," said Marla Kaplowitz, president and CEO, 4A’s.

“While the previous work in this area remains the industry standard over a decade later, simply too much has changed for us to not revisit,” said David Cohen, CEO, IAB. “Having worked on previous iterations, I know the road ahead will not be easy, but it is important work that has to be done. We look forward to collaborating across the ecosystem and developing a contractual framework that ensures the vital infrastructure we need to streamline the digital advertising buying process.”

“The scale and complexity of today’s digital media transactions requires an updated foundation of contractual terms and conditions that underpin this large marketplace. We are very supportive of collaboratively revisiting digital terms and conditions to address the needs of today and tomorrow and look forward to participating in the endeavor,” added Bob Liodice, CEO of ANA.

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The Interactive Advertising Bureau has hit back strongly against the Federal Trade Commission’s Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPR) relating to `commercial surveillance’ by arguing that the move would reduce digital advertising by billions of dollars and that the agency is greatly exceeding its authority. 

In a filing with the FTC, IAB’s executive vice president for public policy Lartease Tiffith complained that the FTC is redefining the ordinary collection, aggregation, and analysis of consumer data as “commercial surveillance”, a move that an IAB press release described as “a definition so broad potential FTC rules could criminalize the internet itself.”

In August, the FTC  said it was exploring rules to crack down on harmful commercial surveillance and lax data security relating to targeted advertising and the handling of consumer data. 

“Firms now collect personal data on individuals at a massive scale and in a stunning array of contexts,” said FTC Chair Lina M. Khan in a statement. “The growing digitization of our economy—coupled with business models that can incentivize endless hoovering up of sensitive user data and a vast expansion of how this data is used—means that potentially unlawful practices may be prevalent. Our goal today is to begin building a robust public record to inform whether the FTC should issue rules to address commercial surveillance and data security practices and what those rules should potentially look like.”

The move could have an important impact on targeted and digital advertising, which would seem to fit into the agency’s definition of “commercial surveillance” as the business of collecting, analyzing, and profiting from information about people.

In response, the IAB filing noted that the "Internet is built on the continuous exchange of data between devices and servers – without these data exchanges, the Internet and its social, cultural, economic, and personal benefits would not exist." 

The filing also highlighted the impact of digital advertising has on supporting free and low-cost online content and services.

“Data-driven advertising greatly benefits consumers by supporting the U.S. economy and creating and maintaining American jobs,” the IAB filing said. “Data-driven advertising, and the Internet economy it supports and drives, contributed $2.45 trillion to the United States’ gross domestic product (GDP) in 2020, accounting for 12 percent of GDP….Additionally, 2.1 million e-commerce companies were operating in the United States in 2020, generating $715 billion in revenue.  Many of those millions of companies are small businesses and sole-proprietorships that are able to achieve success and grow their customer base thanks to data-driven advertising technologies that lower barriers to entry and broaden geographic reach.”

If the FTC restrictions were put in place, the IAB said “Regulations restricting data-driven advertising could likewise have devastating consequences on the over 17 million American jobs that are supported by data-driven advertising.  Most of those jobs were created by small firms and self-employed individuals in all 50 states and across many sectors. In fact, self-employed individuals and people working in small teams of five or fewer people made up 19% of the Internet job total.”

“Further, if the Commission’s regulations resulted in a ban of personalized or targeted advertising, it is likely that between `$32 billion and $39 billion of advertising and ecosystem revenue would move away from the open web by 2025,’” the IAB said.

In the filing the IAB also argued that the FTC has no authority to label “essentially all practices involving the use of ‘consumer data’ to be unfair or deceptive,” a question of “vast economic and political significance” reserved for Congress, according to laws governing the FTC and Supreme Court doctrine. 

In fact, Congress is currently debating a nationwide federal privacy law addressing many of the same issues, and states are deciding their own rules, or declining to, underscoring the FTC’s lack of authority, the IAB argued. 

“IAB represents over 700 leading companies across the digital advertising industry, from brands and publishers to advertising agencies and technology firms. We’re ready to offer our collective expertise and perspective to improve the FTC’s understanding of digital advertising in the modern economy, including small businesses and every American relying on the ad-supported internet for news, information, entertainment, commerce, and community,” said David Cohen, CEO, IAB.

The group also stressed that it was a founding member of Privacy for America, an industry initiative to protect online privacy, jobs and economic growth and IAB supports FTC rulemaking in key areas and stronger enforcement. 

The framework would establish clear rules of the road for individuals, businesses, and law enforcement, and stop harmful and unexpected data practices, while continuing the benefits of digital advertising, the group said. 

WASHINGTON—The IAB held its 48th General Assembly at the new NAB headquarters in Washington, May 23-26, with delegations representing 16 countries of the Three Americas. 

The IAB marked the event with what it called an “Extraordinary Declaration: "Nicaragua: the destruction of democracy," in which it reiterated "its strongest condemnation of the regime of Daniel Ortega and groups that are related to him, for their systematic censorship against journalists and media, as well as for the constant violations of human rights and democratic principles in Nicaragua, emphasizing that without these there is no democracy."

The IAB’s declaration noted that that “during 2021 the persecution and harassment of journalists and independent media has continued and intensified even more, through arbitrary arrests, raids and unfounded accusations, along with the closure and improper occupation of media facilities by Nicaraguan police forces.”

It also noted that that journalists and media executives in Nicaragua have been sentenced to prison terms of between 9 and 13 years, “dictated in processes that have not complied with the minimum guarantees for the exercise of the right to defense,” and that “as a result of these persecutions, many communicators, journalists, broadcasters and media directors have been forced to leave Nicaragua and go into exile in other countries, which has further increased censorship of freedom of information in the country.”

NAB President Curtis LeGeyt opened the assembly along with Dr. Pedro Vaca, Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression of the IACHR of the OAS, and IAB President Lic. Eugenio Sosa Mendoza. LeGeyt highlighted the work being done in the United States to develop new technologies, such as NEXT TV Generation and HD Radio.

LeGeyt also pointed out, "above all things, the importance of fighting daily for Freedom of Expression and of the Press in the face of attempts to control the media and to spread disinformation in our societies.”

Next, Eugenio Sosa Mendoza, IAB President, recalled the pioneers of the association, who 75 years ago joined together to found IAB, with the purpose of defending the great cause of freedom and democracy. Sosa Mendoza warned that "there still exist today autocrats who are obsessed with applying regulations to impose hegemonic control of their regimes and subjugate or close down free and independent media."

"Whatever the attacks, whatever the sign of violence, wherever it comes from, we will stand united and firm to confront them everywhere," concluded IAB President.

At the end, the Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression, Dr. Pedro Vaca, addressed all the attendees to present the risks and challenges facing freedom of expression, journalists and the media in the region.

Dr. Vaca referred, among other aspects of vital importance for the health of democratic systems, warning about the deterioration of public debate, the sustainability of the media, education in the use of social networks and algorithms as well as the mechanisms of indexing content in the digital ecosystem.

During the inaugural ceremony, IAB and the Inter American Press Association commemorated the 70th anniversary of the Panama Doctrine on Freedom of Expression by signing the "Declaration of Washington", where they renewed their commitment to Freedom of Expression and the Right to Information.

Both hemispheric organizations affirmed that they "will continue with their efforts to expand to all regions the ideology of freedom that for decades they have promoted in the three Americas, due to the fact that in the 21st century threats and actions that threaten the existence of journalism and free and independent media persist in the world."

The IAB also paid tribute to Don Boris Eserzki, a pioneer of television in El Salvador and Honorary President of IAB, who passed away March 18.

IAB also elected new officers during the Assembly:

• President: Lic. Eugenio Sosa Mendoza
• 1st Vice President: Eng. José Luis Saca
• 2nd Vice President: Dr. Tulio Ángel Arbelaez
• Secretary Vice President: Dr. Flavio Lara Resende
• Treasurer Vice President: Mr. Gustavo Piedra Guzmán
• Director General: Dr. Juan Andrés Lerena

NEW YORK—A new study from the IAB is reporting explosive growth in podcast ad revenue, which hit a new high in 2021 at $1.4 billion, and is forecast to exceed $2 billion in 2022. 

The study also forecasts that podcast ad revenue is expected to hit $4 billion by 2024, growth that should bolster some of the investments TV news operations have been making in the medium. 

The sixth annual IAB U.S. Podcast Advertising Revenue study, prepared for IAB by PricewaterhouseCoopers, also reported that podcast advertising grew 72% faster in 2021 than the total internet ad market. 

“Everything right now is aligned to drive growth. There’s more engaging and diverse podcast content than ever, and that is translating into larger, more attractive audiences,”  said Chris Bruderle, vice president, research & insights, IAB.  “But more than anything, podcasting has proven that it can deliver beyond direct-to-consumer advertising to support brand-building and drive business outcomes.”

The researchers found that the growth was being driven by three factors: more growth and more content; increased use of automated ad tech and growing investment across more ad categories. 

The share of ad revenue served via Dynamic Ad Insertion (DAI) has almost doubled in two years to 84% as now both host-read and announcer-read ads are largely being served with this functionality (84% and 85%, respectively), the report noted. 

In addition it found that the share of ad revenue generated within categories with lower spend volumes has more than tripled in just two years from 8% to 28%.

More information and the full report can be found here.  

NEW YORK—Digital video advertising spend surged 49% in 2021 and is expected to increase an additional 26% to $49.2 billion in 2022, according to IAB's newly released "2021 Video Ad Spend and 2022 Outlook" report.

The report, which was released at the 2022 IAB NewFronts, in conjunction with Standard Media Index (SMI) and Advertiser Perceptions, found that Connected TV (CTV) ad spend was the largest segment in digital video advertising. 

CTV advertising increased 57% in 2021 to $15.2 billion and is expected to grow an additional 39% in 2022 to $21.2 billion, the IAB is predicting. Between 2020 and 2022, CTV ad spend is projected to more than double (+118%). 

The IAB report also found that three out of four video buyers (76%) label CTV as a 'must buy' in their media planning budgets.

"Digital video is a driving force for buyers and will continue to be in 2022," said Eric John, vice president, IAB Media Center. "However, while CTV leads the substantial growth of digital video ad spend, the amount of dollars currently allocated to CTV is not proportionate to the amount of viewer time spent with the channel. The time is now for brands and buyers to follow consumer attention."

Although CTV will account for 36% of total time spent with linear TV and CTV combined in 2022, the amount of dollars currently allocated to CTV is much smaller than CTV audiences, the IAB reported. Only 18% of total video ad dollars are being spent on CTV vs. total video spend, which includes CTV, linear TV, social, and short-form video.

The IAB also found that buyers cited CTV ad campaigns offered a number of advantages. These include: 

• CTV enables buyers to leverage many types of data not available within linear TV buys, including first-party brand data (65%), location data (61%), and shopping data (50%).
• Among users of the following KPIs, 57% felt CTV was more effective than linear TV at delivering website/sales actions, and 46% more effective at delivering brand perception.
• Buyers felt CTV provided more transparency into where ads run, with 59% of buyers stating it was 'very clear' on where their CTV ads ran vs. only 50% and 43% for social video and other digital video, respectively.
• With no reliance on third-party cookies, buyers are turning to CTV as a privacy-safe way to spend ad dollars efficiently and effectively. Nearly three in four (73%) video buyers doing so expect to fund their third-party cookie/MAID deprecation CTV spend increases by reallocating dollars from linear TV.

But the report also found that the CTV ad sector still faces a number of challenges around cross-platform campaign activation, management, and measurement. Challenges cited by buyers include:   

• Measuring incremental reach across platforms/publishers (48%)
• Managing frequency across platforms/publishers (43%)
• A lack of transparency/interoperability within walled gardens (42%)
• Fragmentation of programmatic supply paths (35%)

To address the challenges of CTV, the IAB founded that buyers are preparing for a converged linear TV/CTV market that would ease management of cross-platform and cross-channel video buys. Nearly nine out of ten buyers (88%) anticipate a converged linear TV/CTV marketplace in the coming years, two in three (66%) linear TV/digital video buyers now have a single planning team for the two channels, and another quarter (25%) expect to have one planning team in the future.

"Fragmentation continues to be the Achilles heel for buyers," added John. "From the study, we learned that video buyers most often cite sales lift as their ideal KPI for CTV, but they are not leveraging it due to measurement complexity, sub-par tool functionality, and data lags. As the industry continues to advance and CTV prevails, advertisers are looking toward a converged marketplace that addresses these issues and helps measure the implementation of a variety of creative and targeting tactics."

"2021 Video Ad Spend and 2022 Outlook" can be downloaded here.

NEW YORK—Digital advertising set records in 2021 according to the newly released “IAB Internet Advertising Revenue Report: Full Year 2021,” conducted by PwC. It found that total U.S. digital advertising jumped 35% to $189 billion in 2021, the biggest increase since 2006.

The news was even better for digital video advertising, OTT, CTV and streaming companies, with digital video advertising being one of the fastest growing sectors, spiking by 50.8% in 2021 to $39.5 billion. 

“We fully expected 2021 to be an exceptional year for digital ad growth, but even we were surprised at the degree of acceleration. Not only was every single digital channel up, but some were up more than 50% year on year,” said Libby Morgan, senior vice president, chief strategy officer, IAB. “This year’s increase is 3x what it was last year.”

The growth is consistent with a recent study from Harvard Business School, commissioned by IAB, which showed the internet economy has grown seven times faster than the U.S. economy over the past four years and now accounts for 12% of the U.S. GDP.

“What’s underneath these numbers is a very clear narrative. We are witnessing the total and complete democratization of access afforded by ad-supported digital channels,” said David Cohen, CEO, IAB. “Increased consumer usage coupled with extraordinary growth of small and mid-sized businesses during the pandemic has fueled growth across all digital — but especially digital audio and video. We expect this digital migration to drive the continued growth of a healthy and competitive digital marketplace driven by innovation and entrepreneurship.”

Although the industry continues to face uncertainty surrounding privacy regulation, the deprecation of third-party cookies and identifiers, measurement challenges and supply-chain transparency, the IAB and PwC forecast continued digital ad growth in 2022, driven by significant innovation in retail media, CTV/OTT, gaming, and digital audio. The continued rise of AR/VR, the metaverse, and Web3 technologies is expected to spark innovation — and continue to drive ad revenue in the years ahead.

“According to the Census Bureau, 2021 saw the greatest business growth in history with 5.4 million new businesses created,” said Cohen. “Those businesses rely upon the ad-supported internet to attract new customers and provide products and services to the American public. We believe this small business engine will be a key contributor to fueling ongoing digital media and marketing ecosystem growth.”

Other key highlights of the 2021 results include:

• Digital video continues to be one of the fastest growing channels, up 50.8% compared to last year, with total revenues of $39.5B.
• Digital audio captured the highest YoY growth, up 57.9% to $4.9B.
• Social media advertising was up 39.3% to $57.7 billion, as consumers continue to engage with Meta platforms, Snapchat, TikTok, and Twitter.
• While search revenue grew substantially (32.8%) in 2021, it did not grow as strong as other areas, leading to a slight decrease in total revenue share (reduction of 0.8 percentage points).

"The IAB Internet Advertising Revenue Report: Full Year 2021" can be downloaded here.  

NEW YORK—While IAB reports “light at the end of the tunnel” for the likes of digital advertising, the outlook for traditional media does not look so rosy. Buyers expect an average estimated -8% ad spend across all media channels, with linear TV in particular down 24% in 2020.

IAB projects that overall U.S. traditional media ad spend is expected to be down 30% in 2020 from its 2019 numbers. Digital, on the other hand, is estimating a 6% increase year-over-year. As has been reported by other outlets, the amount of time and money spent on digital platforms during the pandemic has increased, likely helping push it to this growth.

IAB gives a specific focus to the rise in digital video consumption (OTT/CTV) during the height of the pandemic (March through May). The number of households that watched OTT daily went up from just over 44 million at the start of March to nearly 50 million by the end of May, per IAB. The average daily streaming hours rose from right around 240 million to more than 280 million as June started—it reached a height of 300 million hours a day during April.

As a result, while linear TV is expected to decline 24% in as spend, CTV and digital video ad spend is expected to increase 19% and 18%, respectively, over 2019 numbers.

There is still a lot of uncertainty about how the pandemic will continue to impact advertising as we head into 2021. At least 70% of buyers still have 2021 ad dollars in flux, according to IAB. However, there is an expectation that 2021 ad budgets will increase by 5.3% from that of 2020.

The full IAB report is available online. 

NEW YORK—The old adage is to follow the money, and in 2019 the money is increasingly flowing toward digital video. The “Digital Content NewFronts: 2019 Video Ad Spend Report” by IAB Research shows that there is greater video marketing investments across digital platforms—like mobile and OTT.

Brands, on average, are expected to increase their digital video spending to $18 million in 2019, with $9.3 million allocated to original content. Average digital video advertising was at $12.1 million in 2017 and $14.2 million in 2018.

“Digital video is growing—not only are the dollar figures rising rapidly, but advertisers are eager to adopt new digital video formats as well,” said Anna Berger, executive vice president, industry initiatives, IAB.

NewFronts appear to be a key driver of this growth, according to IAB. The report indicated that 84% of advertisers that attended NewFronts were influenced on original digital video spending. Eight out of 10 advertisers agree that their attendance resulted in increased spending on original digital video content, and more than half said that NewFronts resulted in greater spending throughout the year.

Direct-to-Consumer brands are among the big fans of digital video spending. Of DTC brands with more than $1 million per year budget, 78% plan to increase their ad spend on digital video in the next 12 months, while they are expected to boost their investment by 50% from a year ago.

Additional findings include the growth of new digital ad formats, i.e. stories and shoppable ads, are expected to see a sizeable increase in 2019; 59% of ad buyers plan to increase their TV spend in the next 12 months, with half reporting increases in OTT; buyers expect that half of digital video budgets will be spent through programmatic buys; seven in 10 digital video advertisers use influencers in their digital video advertising; and more than eight in 10 advertisers agree that a unified multi-platform buying solution is important.

“The availability of, and demand for high-quality video content across screens—from OTT to mobile and everywhere in between—is breaking down traditional silos between TV and digital video,” said Eric John, deputy director, IAB Digital Video Center of Excellence. “This year’s report clearly points out that buyers are looking for more unified approaches to planning, executing and measuring video campaigns across platforms. The more the industry pivots to make good on the promise of ‘video everywhere,’ the more we can expect digital video budgets to increase.”

The full report is available here.

NEW YORK—A majority of advertisers recently surveyed said that 59 percent of their digital budgets are now allocated to video. This represents a “steady rise” since 2016, according to Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB)—a trade group comprised of 650 media and technology companies, which conducted the survey.

In its latest market research report, “Digital Content NewFronts: 2018 Video Ad Spend Study,” the IAB—which promotes more effective sales, delivery, and optimization of digital advertising and marketing campaigns—also found that over 50-percent of ad buyers plan to increase their digital and mobile video spending in the next 12 months. Compared to two years ago, this spending has risen 53-percent, to an average of roughly $10 million annually.

Investment in original digital video (ODV) programming has also climbed steadily since 2016 and is expected to surge to 68-percent by the end of 2018. The IAB report claims that 9 out of 10 advertisers consider ODV programming essential to their marketing mix, with a majority saying the online video medium enables them to reach audiences that are not watching linear TV.

[Read: Report: Local TV Faces Growing Competition For Ad Dollars]

Conducted by Advertiser Perceptions in mid-March 2018, the study surveyed 353 ad agency and marketing executives that are involved in their companies’ digital video advertising decision-making, having spent over $1 million on advertising buys in 2017.

“These findings reflect consumers’ enthusiasm for the dynamic storytelling, which original video programming delivers in spades, and the power of the medium to deliver strong ROI,” said Anna Bager, Executive Vice President, Industry Initiatives, IAB. “Marketers’ commitment to digital video—especially original digital video—has been skyrocketing over the past few years.”

Half of the ad execs surveyed also plan to increase spending on social media video advertising in next 12 months, and 44-percent have strong interest in buying interactive ads on connected TV. 

NEW YORK—The IAB Tech Lab, a non-profit consortium of advertisers, content creators and consumer electronics manufacturer, has released a set of guidelines designed to improve consumers’ video ad experiences across smart TVs, connected devices and other OTT systems.

The “Guidelines for Identifier for Advertising on OTT Platforms,” promotes a set of industry best practices for delivering targeted ads in order to maintain a high-quality advertising experience, as well as control ad frequency and rotation across OTT systems. The Lab is inviting public comment through May 3, 2018.

[Read: IAB Releases New IAB Standard Ad Unit Portfolio]

To better manage ad-related activities, The IAB Tech Lab recommends that stakeholders use a unique identifier for advertising (IFA) that is completely disconnected from a hardware ID, MAC address, IMEI, or IP address. Devices and apps must store and send this IFA as part of any ad request, along with an associated IFA type identifying the IFA’s source, and Limit Ad Tracking (LAT), which provides an opt-out mechanism to respect the users’ privacy choices.

“After linear TV, more Americans watch video content on OTT than on VOD or DVR, and the medium is skyrocketing,” said Dennis Buchheim, Senior Vice President and General Manager, IAB Tech Lab. “The traditional, semi-persistent cookie we are accustomed to using as an identifier on browsers isn’t at play across OTT systems, so we need to deploy other types of identifiers to ensure that ad experiences are optimal for consumers..”

The IAB Tech Lab is an independent, non-profit research and development consortium comprised of interactive marketing entities, including: digital publishers, ad technology firms, interactive marketers, agencies, consumer electronics manufacturers, OTT app publishers, and ad measurement platforms. The IAB Tech Lab describes its mission as advancing protocols, technical standards, software and services that help drive the growth of interactive advertising across OTT platforms.

After public comment concludes, the IAB Tech Lab’s OTT Technical Working Group will evaluate and incorporate the feedback received and release a final version. To review the proposed guidelines, please visit their website.  

NEW YORK—Ads are shown on a variety of devices now, so the Interactive Advertising Bureau has developed the IAB Standard Ad Unit Portfolio, featuring ads that can be adjusted to fit a variety of screen sizes and resolution capabilities. This portfolio was developed by the IAB Tech Lab.

The portfolio’s ad units integrate aspect ratio-based flexible ad sizes and incorporate the LEAN principles—lightweight, encrypted, AdChoices supported and non-invasive advertising—within mobile, display and native ad formats. The ad portfolio is based on HTML5 technology and includes guidelines for AR, VR, social media, mobile video, emoji ad messaging and 360-degree video ads.

The new ad units are based on aspect ratio and size range rather than fixed pixel sizes. These flexible sized ad units allow for ad delivery across multiple screen sizes and integration with responsive website designs.

The IAB new ad portfolio replaces all the previous creative display guidelines for mobile and desktop, including the Universal Ad Package, rich media units and other ad units’ related guidelines.

NEW YORK—The number of regular viewers for original digital video programming has increased by nearly 18 million since 2013, with the “2016 Original Digital Video Study” from the Interactive Advertising Bureau indicating that the current number of regular viewers is around 63 million. According to the study, those who regularly tune in to digital video content actually prefer it to more traditional TV programming, including primetime TV, which IAB says is a first.

This growth is being led by the 18-34 age group, particularly males in that age range, which are twice as likely as adults 35 and older to watch made-for-digital content, IAB says. Some of the top reasons cited for watching digital content were viewing flexibility and exclusive, original content. Consumers also maintain a positive perception of digital video, describing it is “innovative,” “younger,” “unique” and “new.”

Digital video viewers also say they remember ads more, with 38 percent claiming they do compared to 29 percent a year ago. Among 18-34 year olds, 48 percent say they are more like to remember an ad shown with original digital video content (more than the 27 percent in 2015). Of all respondents, 36 percent said they find ads shown during original digital video content to be “more interesting.”

In addition, IAB indicates that the audience for digital video programming has seen an increase in median household income; up 9 percent from 2015.

“This growing format not only attracts a valuable young demographic, but also appeals to the notoriously hard-to-reach audience of cord-cutters/nevers,” said Anna Bager, senior vice president and general manager, mobile and video, IAB. “So, it is no wonder that marketers and media buyers are crowding NewFronts presentations to see the latest in premium original digital video programming.”

To read the full report, visit iab.com/originalvideo.