FreeWheel

Butler/Till pilots AI media buying for audio with iHeart

Independent agency Butler/Till and iHeartMedia ran a four-week pilot in July–August 2026 testing agentic AI media-buying agents on streaming audio and podcast inventory for an unnamed U.S. agricultural client. The pilot used two matched AI agents (one from Butler/Till, one from iHeartMedia) connected via an MCP server and executed just under $10,000 in media buys via a direct agency-to-publisher purchase. Butler/Till reported a 42% reduction in campaign CPMs versus the client’s direct-buy benchmark and a higher share of premium non-skippable mid-roll podcast placements (48% vs an estimated 33% in the traditional plan). iHeartMedia said it will expand inventory availability — including broadcast radio later in 2026 — and make its Audiograph solution available through Amazon’s DSP from mid-September.

TV Ad Market Shifts to Streaming; Cheap Inventory Demanded

This Future of TV Briefing (Digiday, Aug. 12, 2026) summarizes how TV and streaming companies’ advertising businesses performed in Q2 2026. The briefing highlights topics such as streaming’s upfront haul, Fox’s and Paramount’s NFL deals, and broader shifts from linear TV to streaming that are increasing demand for lower‑cost inventory. The piece is part of Digiday’s Future of TV series and references related coverage, including Comcast‑owned FreeWheel adding show‑level reporting for streaming ad sellers.

Aéropostale backs creator-led episodic shows

Digiday’s Future of TV Briefing (Aug. 5, 2026) highlights Aéropostale’s investment in creator-led episodic series and includes a Q&A with Marisa Thalberg, EVP and chief customer and marketing officer at Catalyst Brands. The briefing covers creator-driven content strategies, notes industry topics such as Disney+’s planned overhaul and Netflix’s creator-brand demand, and references streaming ad topics like FreeWheel’s show-level reporting. The piece is part of Digiday+’s weekly Future of TV Briefing for industry subscribers.