In this week’s Week in Review: Apple enters talks to acquire F1 streaming rights, publisher file an antitrust case in Europe against Google’s AI overviews, and MFE discusses its options for its ProSieben takeover attempt.
Top Stories
Apple Eyes Up F1 Rights Following Film Success
Apple is in talks to acquire US streaming rights for Formula 1, the Financial Times reported this week, following the success of an Apple-produced film based on the sport. F1 has quickly become Apple’s highest grossing film at the box office, according to the FT, and the tech giant is interested in capitalising on that success with live streaming rights for Apple TV+.
The move highlights the continued importance of live sports rights in the streaming landscape. Amid viewership fragmentation, live sports have a rare ability to attract large, live, simultaneous viewership, which is extremely valuable from an advertising point of view. Sports rights packages also bring dedicated fandoms who tune in regularly, helping prevent subscription churn.
Apple TV+ already has streaming deals covering Major League Baseball and Major League Soccer in the US. ESPN currently holds broadcast rights for F1 in America.
European Publishers File Antitrust Complaint Against Google AI Overviews
The Independent Publishers Alliance, a trade group representing independent publishers, has filed an EU antitrust complaint targeting Google’s AI overviews, Reuters reported this week. Google’s AI overviews directly provide AI-generated responses to user queries, providing links to sources. The Alliance accuses Google of misusing web content and causing significant harm to publishers, and has asked the EU to impose interim measures to prevent irreparable harm.
“Google’s core search engine service is misusing web content for Google’s AI Overviews in Google Search, which have caused, and continue to cause, significant harm to publishers, including news publishers in the form of traffic, readership and revenue loss,” said a filing seen by Reuters.
Google’s AI overviews have proven controversial with publishers. While Google has previously stated that they don’t negatively impact publishers, many companies say they have seen search referrals plummet for some types of content since they were introduced. One significant issue highlighted by the Alliance is that publishers can’t opt out of AI overviews without opting out of Google’s search product entirely.
MFE Could Raise ProSieben Bid but “Won’t Do Anything Crazy”
MFE-MediaForEurope is considering raising its bid for ProSiebenSat.1, in response to a counter offer from Czech investment group PPF, MFE CEO Pier Silvio Berlusconi said on Tuesday. ProSieben has openly favoured the PPF offer, calling MFE’s bid “inadequate from a financial perspective.”
According to Reuters, MFE CFO Marco Giordani suggested any increase in the bid would be conservative. “We haven’t decided yet,” he said. “But (if we raise our bid), we won’t do anything crazy.” The pan-European media group also reported flat ad sales during the first half of the year, with a 2.1 percent rise in Italy offsetting a single-digit fall in Spain.
The Week in Tech
Linda Yaccarino Steps Down as X CEO
Linda Yaccarino is stepping down as CEO of X, she announced on Wednesday. Yaccarino was brought into the ailing social media firm in 2023 to reverse an exodus of advertisers, who feared for brand safety on the platform under the ownership of Elon Musk. Her resignation followed an incident where X’s AI chatbot Grok started posting praise for Adolf Hitler.
Origin, the cross-media measurement solution developed by advertiser trade group ISBA, is now opening up to the wider market following the completion of its Beta trial. Origin’s CEO Tom George says that any advertiser can now access Origin’s core reporting service once they’ve paid the ‘Fractional Advertiser Contribution’ which helps fund the service. The news isn’t being described as a full rollout, but rather an ‘Expanded Availability’ phase. The initial product available in this phase is limited to deduplicated reach and frequency measurement for YouTube and linear TV, which Origin says include second-by-second level measurement for the first-time. Meta inventory, which was included in the Beta trial, will seemingly not be available in this phase. Read more on VideoWeek.
ICO Seeks Privacy-Preserving Enforcement Approach to Online Advertising
The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), the UK’s data protection authority, is calling for views on a new enforcement approach for online advertising, the regulator said on Monday. The consultation aims to find privacy-preserving alternatives to the current ad tech model, and to explore how publishers can deliver privacy-safe advertising to users who have not given consent, thereby maintaining revenue streams. “Online advertising doesn’t have to come at the expense of privacy,” said Stephen Almond, Executive Director of Regulatory Risk at the ICO. “We want to see the industry develop new models that put users in control while supporting publishers and platforms to thrive. Our role isn’t to dictate how that’s done – it’s to remove unnecessary regulatory barriers and open the door to responsible innovation.”
Meta Faces Antitrust Investigation in France Over Online Advertising Practices
France’s antitrust regulator has notified Meta of a potential violation of competition rules in online advertising, for allegedly limiting access to third-party ad verification partners. “Meta is accused of abusing its dominant position by limiting access to partnerships for ad verification services on ad inventories sold by the group, under conditions that are not transparent, objective or non-discriminatory,” the regulator said in a statement. Meta is required to implement interim measures, including updating its governance of access to viewability and brand safety partnerships.
Threads Grows Usership as X Declines
Meta’s Threads is closing in on X in terms of daily users, according to data from Similarweb. In June 2025, the two-year-old social media app had 115.1 million daily active users, representing 127.8 percent YoY growth. Meanwhile Elon Musk’s X saw 132 million daily active users, a YoY decline of 15.2 percent.
US JIC Confirms Comscore, iSpot and VideoAmp’s “Currency-Grade Readiness”
A US broadcaster-backed joint industry committee (JIC) has reaffirmed certifications for three alternative measurement currency providers in its mid-term audit. Comscore, iSpot and VideoAmp are ready to be used as currency in ad trading, according to the JIC. “Of particular note, Comscore has now met the JIC’s benchmark for transactability in personified demographics as part of the audit, joining iSpot and VideoAmp to offer the market three solutions that have been verified as transactable across personified demographics, households and advanced audiences,” said the group.
Samsung Ads Launches Mobile Conversion Product to Drive Gaming App Installs
Samsung Ads has launched a Mobile Conversion product for gaming advertisers, a performance-driven solution that helps game publishers find CTV viewers with “a high propensity to convert or download gaming apps.” The product includes tools such as ‘Creative Optimisation’, which serves the most relevant creative for the consumer based on real-time behavioural signals, and ‘Cross-Inventory Optimisation’, to shift media spend towards the highest-performing inventory. “Measurement has long been fragmented across TV and mobile, making it difficult for marketers to see the full impact of their spend,” said Michael Scott, Vice President & Head of Ad Sales & Operations at Samsung Ads. “With Mobile Conversion, we’re closing that gap – connecting viewing behaviour on the biggest screen to action on the smallest, giving brands a unified, measurable view of their consumer across channels.”
ShowHeroes Integrates Contextual AI with DoubleVerify’s Brand Safety Tools
ShowHeroes, a video and CTV ad tech business, has partnered with DoubleVerify, a media measurement and verification firm, to provide brand safety, invalid traffic (IVT) protection, and contextual tools for advertisers. The partnership integrates ShowHeroes’ SemanticHero technology, which uses machine learning and Natural Language Processing to analyse on-page content, with DV Marketplace Suite, which includes pre-bid segmentation, fraud prevention and viewability filters. “This partnership represents the future of programmatic advertising,” said Kay Schneider, President Global Product & Business Development at ShowHeroes. “By combining our contextual AI with DoubleVerify’s industry-leading verification tools, we offer agencies and advertisers an unparalleled combination of safety, performance, and scale.”
AI Positioning Systems Company V2RSION Announces Launch
V2RSION, a “Positioning Engineering studio”, announced its launch on Tuesday. The company builds AI-driven positioning systems that enable tech businesses to remain preferred by AI models, according to the announcement. V2RSION said its custom methodology, Positioning Intelligence (PIQ), combines synthetic research, competitive benchmarking, and automated sentiment analysis to deliver data-driven insights and adaptive positioning. Founded by Paul Evans, former Global Head of Media at Vodafone, the company is already working with companies in the UK, Europe and the US, including Utiq, Onetag and Azerion.
The Week in TV
ITV and Disney Sign Latest Distribution Deal Between European Broadcaster and SVOD Giant
ITV announced a new partnership with Disney this week, whereby the UK and US broadcasters will “carry each other’s streaming services.” Starting on 16th July, Disney+ subscribers in the UK will be able to stream select ITV programming, while ITVX will have access to certain Disney+ shows and movies.
This means the agreement actually stops short of wholesale carriage of each other’s streaming services, instead offering curated selections of imported content on the respective streaming services. ITVX will offer a “rotating rail” of Disney+ content entitled ‘A Taste of Disney+’. At launch this will include FX’s The Bear, Lucasfilm’s Andor and Hulu’s Only Murders in the Building, according to the announcement. Disney+ meanwhile will present ‘A Taste of ITVX’, “a regularly refreshed selection of hit shows” from the UK broadcaster. Read more on VideoWeek.
Channel 4 to Make Closed Captions Mandatory on Advertising
Channel 4 Sales has announced new accessibility commitments, including making closed captions mandatory on all ads delivered to the UK broadcaster (across linear and streaming) from spring 2026. The sales house has also launched the tenth edition of its annual Diversity in Advertising Awards, which rewards campaigns promoting diversity and inclusion. “We are proud to continue driving change for our commercial partners and viewers with these new commitments, and to build on learnings to increase the speed at which we deliver on our intentions,” said Amy Jenkins, Customer and Commercial Leader at Channel 4.
ProSieben Brings NBCU Content to Joyn
ProSiebenSat.1 has signed a multi-year agreement with NBCUniversal, to bring the US media company’s content to the German broadcaster’s TV and streaming services. The deal makes almost 2,000 hours of NBCU content available on Joyn, Sat.1 and ProSieben, according to the companies, including recent Hollywood films. “With this deal, we’re offering our audiences top-tier Hollywood entertainment anytime – from blockbuster hits like Jurassic World Rebirth and How to Train Your Dragon to NBC Universal’s series and factual content,” said Henrik Pabst, Chief Content Officer at ProSiebenSat.1. “Our expanded AVOD rights for Joyn mean we can distribute this premium content flexibly and in line with our multi-platform strategy.”
France Télévisions Adds TV5Monde to France.tv in PSB Aggregation Strategy
France Télévisions is bringing content from fellow public service broadcaster (PSB) TV5 Monde to its France.tv streaming service. The PSB has also recently brought in content from Arte, INA, Public Sénat, LCP – Assemblée Nationale and France 24, in efforts to make France.tv “the aggregator for the public broadcasting sector’s video offering.”
Channel 4 Launches YouTube Comedy Channel
Channel 4 is launching a new comedy channel on YouTube, Deadline reported on Thursday. The channel, ‘A Comedy Thing’, will publish weekly long-form content, alongside clips for TikTok and Instagram. The move continues the UK broadcaster’s strategy of distributing programming on YouTube to expand its audience, having also launched the digital brand Channel 4.0 in 2022.
Amazon to Shutter Freevee in August
Amazon is shuttering its AVOD service Freevee in August, according to an in-app notice to users. Freevee content will migrate to Prime Video, which introduced ads last year, raising doubts over the free streaming service’s future. The content will be available to stream for free, without a Prime Video subscription, though the move could be designed to convert free viewers to paid subscribers.
TF1 PUB Introduces Targeting Segments with Retail Data from Retailink
TF1 PUB, the French broadcaster’s sales house, has announced the next phase of its strategic partnership with Retailink, the advertising arm of the Fnac Darty retail group. TF1 will use Retailink’s behavioural data to activate targeting segments on its TF1+ streaming service and addressable TV. “TF1 PUB is already a major player in retail media in France through our data partnerships,” said Philippe Boscher, Deputy Marketing Director at TF1 PUB. “Strengthening our collaboration with Retailink will enable us to offer new buyer, intentionist and behavioural targeting opportunities for our clients, targeting now unified between TF1+ and segmented TV for maximum reach in CTV.”
Disney and Hearst Explore A+E Sale
A+E Global Media, owner of cable networks A&E, History and Lifetime, is exploring a potential sale, according to Deadline. The joint venture between Disney and Hearst has reportedly retained Wells Fargo to explore strategic options, ranging from partnerships to an outright sale. The reports come amid declining viewership and ad revenues for cable companies, with networks being spun off at Comcast and Warner Bros. Discovery.
The Week for Publishers
News UK Unveils First Fruits of TV & Film Licensing Initiative
News publishing group News UK this week announced the debut documentary from its TV and film IP licensing initiative, a two-part documentary produced with Channel 4 and Wonderhood Studios about Kenneth Law, a man accused of distributing lethal substances to people intending to commit suicide. News UK is one of a number of publishing groups creating or licensing content based on their IP as an emerging revenue stream.
Immediate Media Takes Video-First Approach to Content Creation
UK magazine publisher Immediate Media often takes a video-first approach to content creation nowadays, according to an interview with CEO Sean Cornwell by Press Gazette, whereby journalists start by recording a video interview which can also be repurposed into a written article and a podcast.
“More often than not, now we try and start with video, and actually then it’s one piece,” said Cornwell. “It could be an interview with a chef, or a series on a particular plant [for Gardeners’ World Magazine] and how to grow it. You shoot the video in different ways. A podcast comes out of it, an article comes out of it for the web and for print… It all starts with the premise that you’ve got to give your audiences and your users what they want, when they want it, how they want it, where they want it.”
Bloomberg Cuts Editorial Staff Amid Newsroom Overhaul
Financial news publisher Bloomberg has announced a restructuring of its editorial teams, which Business Insider reported this week will lead to a small number of job cuts. Bloomberg’s editor-in-chief John Micklethwait says the company wants to double down on areas where it has had success in recent years: coverage of private markets, video content, and news distribution and packaging across platforms. The publisher is centralising and merging teams handling these three areas to help strengthen them further.
Publishers Want More Control from Curation Deals, finds Ozone
Ozone, a sales house representing a number of premium publishers, released new research on curation this week highlighting some of the challenges and opportunities from a publisher’s point of view. Only 23 percent of publishers feel in control of their participation in curated deals according to the study, while 60 percent of publishers report not being asked for permission to include their data and inventory in curated deals. Ninety-five percent of publishers are unclear on curation fees. “We believe curation can be a force for good when publishers have transparency, control and fair value exchange,” Ozone said in a statement.
Redundancies Expected as Reach Consolidates Sports Teams
UK national and regional news publisher Reach is merging a number of its sports coverage teams into one centralised hub, a change which will see more journalists create content which is distributed across a number of Reach titles. The move could lead to around 50 redundancies, according to Press Gazette.
The Week for Brands & Agencies
WPP Appoints Microsoft’s Cindy Rose as New CEO
British agency holding group WPP has appointed Cindy Rose, currently chief operating officer for Global Enterprise at Microsoft, as its new CEO. Rose has sat on WPP’s board as a non-executive director since 2019, and has also worked with the agency as a client and partner in previous roles. She will take the reins from September 1st, meaning current CEO Mark Read will leave the role sooner than initially expected, though he will remain at WPP until the end of the year to support the transition. Read more on VideoWeek.
Stagwell Launches New Centralised Media and Data Team
Agency group Stagwell on Wednesday announced the launch of ‘Stagwell Media Platform’, a new centralised global team of media, technology, and data experts which will support Stagwell’s various agency brands. Stagwell says SMP will help model, forecast, and optimise towards efficiency and outcomes for clients. Matt Adams, currently global chief operating officer of Stagwell-owned media agency Assembly, will serve as global CEO.
WPP Issues Profit Warning Against “Challenging Economic Backdrop”
WPP on Wednesday issued an unexpected H1 trading update, warning that performance in Q2 has been significantly worse than expected, which the company attributed to a mix of tough economic conditions and weaker new business performance. The company has downgraded its full year guidance for like-for-like revenues less passthrough costs to between -3 percent and -5 percent (from previous expectations of between 0 percent and -2 percent). “Our focus remains on ensuring the right balance between investing in the business for the long-term and continuing to reduce structural costs, while taking appropriate actions to respond to the current trading environment,” said CEO Mark Read, whose replacement was announced the following day (see above).
Assembly Launches Brand Safety and Suitability Platform ‘Assembly Control’
Stagwell-owned media agency Assembly has launched ‘Assembly Control’, a new brand safety and suitability solution which it says will give advertisers more control over their ad placements while also enabling stronger media performance. Assembly Control was built in partnership with an unnamed verification and measurement company, but incorporates Assembly’s proprietary approach to inventory categorisation, tailored inclusion lists, and advanced sustainability controls. The move is interesting in part because Stagwell has been a vocal critic of the ways in which brand safety solutions have at times been used to demonetise news content.
Brands are Missing Mark on Modern Masculinity, says Channel 4
Only one in four young men report regularly seeing ads which reflect the man they want to become, according to new research from UK broadcaster Channel 4. The study, Mirror on Masculinities, also found that one third of men believe advertisers must do more around the representation of men in advertising. Based on the research, Channel 4 makes a number of recommendations for brands and marketers:
- Modernise pillars of manhood: Build on what matters to young men, inclusive of emotional depth, vulnerability, and growth.
- Explore intersections: reflect masculinities shaped by race, class, gender identity, sexuality, and disability.
- Culture cues: learn from the appeals of sport and digital creator culture.
- Celebrate friendship: friendship as a vehicle to create space for emotional safety.
- Build bridges: create stories that foster gender empathy and unity.
- Don’t forget the fun: use humour and joy to build connection.
Trust is a Key Driver of Business Performance, find FT and IPA
Trust is a core strategic asset which directly drives profit, customer acquisition, brand strength, and long-term success for businesses, according to research run by the Financial Times and industry trade group the IPA. For example, companies which measure trust as a board-level KPI are believed to be over three times more likely to report strong profits than those that don’t, according to the study. Trust is now considered the second most powerful metric, just after product or service quality, for driving core business outcomes.
Gaming Investment Continues to Lag Behind Engagement
Ad investment in gaming still lags significantly behind audience engagement, according to a new report from Japanese agency group Dentsu. Gaming draws less than five percent of global ad spend, according to the report, despite the fact that around 3.5 billion people globally play video games. Time spent gaming grew six percent year-on-year over the last year. And gamers are increasingly using games as social platforms: 70 percent of gamers say games help them connect with others, while 36 percent say they watch gaming content to learn, laugh, and belong.
Hires of the Week
Seedtag Names Criteo’s Brian Gleason as CEO
Seedtag, a contextual advertising business, has named Brian Gleason as CEO. He will take the new position on 1st August, when founders and co-CEOs Jorge Poyatos and Albert Nieto become Chief Innovation Officer and Strategic Advisor, respectively. Gleason joins from Criteo, where he serves as CRO and President, Retail Media.
JWP Connatix Appoints First Chief AI Officer
JWP Connatix, a video tech and monetisation company, has announced Dr. Kenneth Rona as its first Chief AI Officer. The new role is designed to “lead efforts to transform JWP Connatix into an AI-first company,” according to JWP Connatix. Dr. Rona has more than 20 years of experience in digital advertising and media technology, including leadership roles at Turner Broadcasting System and AOL.
Samsung Ads Promotes Lauren Barnett to Head of UK Sales
Samsung Ads has promoted Lauren Barnett, previously the company’s Agency Lead, to Head of UK Sales. Barnett joined Samsung Ads in 2021, following stints at Seedtag, LoopMe and News UK. Her appointment follows the promotion of Christian Russ to Commercial Director DACH & FRITES.
Happydemics Hires Michael Isaacs-Olaye for UK Growth
Happydemics, a Paris-based ad tech firm, has appointed Michael Isaacs-Olaye as VP Sales & Partnerships UK. Isaacs-Olaye will combine local market knowledge with industry experience to help Happydemics grow in the UK, according to Happydemics. He previously worked as Director of Business Development at Integral Ad Science, following stints at Outbrain and Magnite.
This Week on VideoWeek
LHF Restrictions Call for Supersized Creativity on Media Plans
How Long-Form Content is Expanding Mail Metro Media’s Video Offering
What’s Driving the US Streamers’ French Connections?
Week in Charts: Elizabeth Warren Calls Out Trump’s Paramount Lawsuit, Agencies Seek Remuneration Overhaul, and AI Agents Market to Top $200 Billion
ISBA’s Origin Opens Up to the Market as Beta Trial Ends
WPP Appoints Microsoft’s Cindy Rose as New CEO
ITV and Disney Sign Latest Distribution Deal Between European Broadcaster and SVOD Giant
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Adidas Originals, Superstar
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