AI in media: The biggest developments of 2026 so far

Agentic AI's success in advertising will hinge on infrastructure, not identity solutions, a new analysis argues. Containerisation and closer platform integration already signal the industry preparing for autonomous, agent-driven media buying.

Dutch streaming platform Videoland has ended ad-free viewing, meaning even its priciest subscribers will now see commercials. Parent company RTL says the change will help fund continued investment in Dutch productions.

Two-thirds of Americans still watch TV through a mix of traditional and streaming platforms, according to ARF's latest DASH study. Antenna use is also ticking up, reaching 17.1% of US homes as viewers chase live sport unavailable on free streaming.

Kieran Greene, Shinka's founder and CEO, says publishers lose 20–40% of potential CTV ad revenue to inefficient bid requests. Poorly formatted or incomplete signals reduce bid density and push down CPMs across the supply chain.

Streaming captured 51% of upfront ad dollars for the first time, overtaking linear TV in the annual sales cycle. Buyers paid 6% less per ad but bought 37% more inventory, a share win built on volume, not price.

Agencies moved AI from a buzzword to core infrastructure in 2026, building entire operating systems around it. Examples include Publicis Groupe acquiring data platform LiveRamp for $2.2bn, its third-largest deal ever.

Marion Ranchet, European streaming consultant, argues Europe's broadcasters keep building separate streaming tech stacks out of ego and control. Bedrock Streaming CEO Jonas Engwall says local pride keeps them from matching Netflix's $3.4bn tech spend.

YouTube has broadened its definition of a 'view' just as it pushes to be planned and bought as television. Nick Tong, Mediaplus UK's media managing partner, warns the shift could undermine that TV positioning.

New EU AI Act rules under Article 50 now require agencies to label AI-generated or AI-manipulated content for consumers. Dr Mónika Magyar, EACA Senior Public Affairs Advisor, says clearer rules can boost client confidence by reducing uncertainty.

Seven.One Media has launched ALL21 Roadblocking, airing identical ad spots simultaneously across all seven ProSiebenSat.1 channels. Retailer REWE secured the Thursday prime-time launch slot, with the format set to run weekly across the network.

MNTN reported $82.5 million in Q2 revenue, up 21% year-over-year, as its customer base grew 40%. Mark Douglas, MNTN's CEO, said media consolidation won't hurt the platform since it serves small advertisers new to TV.

Jacqueline Freeman, ThinkTV's GM of Communications, argues television is uniquely trusted because it is regulated at every stage. She cites Kantar research showing offline channels, led by television, far outrank digital platforms on advertising trust.

New Kantar research finds humans and machines rarely agree on what makes an ad effective. Kantar argues brands should build around clear, meaningful benefits that travel across the ecosystem, rather than making ads more machine-readable.

Mateusz Jędrocha, Chief Product Officer at Adlook, argues CTV's transparency gap reflects a commercial choice, not a technical limit. He urges buyers to demand programme-level reporting and attention data as standard, not premium add-ons.

Media industry consultants Jon Watts and Ian Maude argue the market's real problem is fragmented definitions and reporting standards, not lack of demand. They're pushing for shared technical and measurement foundations that let programmatic TV scale without diluting premium inventory value.

Raw numbers increasingly get mistaken for real media value, argues Sofie Sue Rutgeerts, egta's Senior Manager, Industry Insights. She calls for measurement that reflects each platform's distinct role, from awareness to shared experience, rather than one dominant metric.

Justin Lebbon, consultant and co-founder of Adwanted Events, argues Origin's cross-media measurement has underwhelmed after seven years and £60m. He questions why WFA backed Origin over strengthening industry committees, calling Fifty5Blue's new stake unlikely to fix its economics.

RTL Group's streaming service RTL+ turned profitable in H1, contributing to a €100 million full-year profit boost. Clément Schwebig, RTL Group's CEO, credited strong streaming subscriptions as digital ad growth offset a soft linear market.

AI's biggest barrier isn't technology but a lack of shared industry standards, argues Jon Watts, CIMM's Managing Director. He cites research showing IP-to-household data matching averages only 13% accuracy across providers.

Netflix's ad business is on track to double year-on-year to $3bn in 2026, after Q2 revenue rose 13%. Media analysts now estimate Netflix's ad sales rank among the world's top 30, on par with RTL.

UK broadcasters' social video push isn't yet commercially sustainable, argues Niamh Burns, Enders Analysis' media policy lead. Platform revenue currently falls short of funding premium content production, she says, across every major platform.

AI in advertising isn't limited by data but by a lack of structure, argues Ed Davis, OpenAP's product chief. He believes the industry needs shared guardrails and common infrastructure, not one all-purpose AI agent.

Linear TV advertising is entering a new automation phase: digitally delivered linear, argues Simulmedia CEO Dave Morgan. He points to Fox Broadcasting's agentic transaction demo at Cannes as an early signal.

Ad-supported CTV services are operating at just 65% of their commercial potential, according to a new Omdia report. Fully sold inventory could generate $0.21 per viewing hour, two to three times current revenue.

A new ISBA study finds 99% of UK advertisers have started using GenAI, with two-thirds already using it at work. Agency relationships are shifting fastest in content production, as UK advertisers prioritise AI efficiency over effectiveness this year.