The Big Story

It must be sweeps week, because TV drama is through the roof. AdExchanger is here for it though, with a healthy mix of news reporting on loose speculation about the fate of TV’s longstanding ad currency.

Wall Street can’t get enough of ad tech. We talk through The Trade Desk’s earnings, how it fared compared to independent ad tech and Big Tech, and why CTV ad servers became such hot acquisition targets.

 A handful of challenger search engines are taking on Google with promises of privacy and security. Plus, why ecommerce and first-party data are key themes for CPG companies a year after the pandemic unleashed massive consumer behavior changes.

A guest from the front lines of connected TV ad buying – Omnicom’s Kelly Metz – shares why a record TV upfront will lead to a “wild Q4” as programmatic buyers scramble for access to streaming inventory. Plus, we unpack the Olympics streaming experience.

Could Xandr attract the eye of InMobi as it prepares an IPO? We discuss AT&T’s reported plans to sell Xandr and offer a primer on Big Tech’s new foe, Jonathan Kanter, the nominee to lead antitrust actions at the Department of Justice.

How do email-based IDs, the Privacy Sandbox and first-party data rank in terms of privacy? And which cookie alternatives are attracting marketer test budgets? Listen to the highlights of AdExchanger’s latest research report on identity. In the second half, we talk through the Flashtalking-Mediaocean deal, as ad tech becomes a field of unicorns.

The Trade Desk made waves this week with the launch of its new DSP dashboard, called Solimar, and a venture capital arm. The company’s first investment is in Chalice Custom Algorithms. And we examine where all the supply of programmatic CTV ads are coming from, when so much of the content is ad-free or locked behind walled gardens. AdExchanger is joined by special guest Ana Milicevic for this week’s discussion.

When Google extended its third-party cookie removal deadline, many were relieved. But the extension will create winners (Google, public ad tech stocks) and losers (consumers). Featuring a special guest from the ad tech front lines, Matt Barash of Zeotap.

Third-party cookies live (another two years, that is). Google Chrome moved back the deadline for third-party cookies’ demise. We talk about why Google made that decision. Plus, we dive into the “sprawling, mysterious empire” that is Amazon’s ad business.

Ad agencies are pulling data from warehousing and fulfillment companies to support more dynamic ads (featuring products in stock and easy to ship). We dissect this trend, as well as Google’s agreement to let the CMA sign off on its decision to remove cookies from Chrome. The arrangement sets a precedent for the future of regulation.