IMEDIAG

Netflix Pushes Programmatic; Viant Acquires TVision; Video Growth

Netflix said it will launch a TikTok-like vertical short-form video feed within its apps this month and will broaden its use of AI across recommendations, content creation and advertising. The company has tested the short video feed since last year and previously introduced a ChatGPT-powered search. Netflix last month acquired Ben Affleck’s AI company InterPositive to accelerate GenAI capabilities for filmmakers. The company also said it will use AI to improve its ad suite and expects $3 billion in ad revenue this year. In its Q1 2026 results Netflix reported $12.25 billion revenue (up 16.2% year-over-year) and $5.28 billion profit (up 83%); co-founder and chair Reed Hastings will leave the board this summer. Netflix ended 2025 with about 325 million paying subscribers.

Google Offers Publishers AI Opt-Out Amid Ongoing Concerns

Following a UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) consultation, Google has agreed to develop controls allowing publishers to opt out of generative-AI features in Google Search, including being cited in 'AI Overviews' or used for wider model training. Publisher responses to the CMA (including the BBC, Financial Times, Guardian Media Group, DMG Media and trade bodies) welcomed greater control but warned that effectiveness depends on design choices — notably separation of AI crawlers from standard search crawlers, granular opt-in/opt-out by use case (grounding, training, fine-tuning), and protections against Google accessing publisher content via third-party dataset deals. Views differ on default settings: some publishers and trade groups want publishers opted out by default, while Google contests the claim that its AI features harm publishers.

How to Create Great Video Ads: Play Video Summit

German coverage of the Play Video Advertising Summit in Hamburg outlines practical guidance for creating engaging video ads while acknowledging tech hurdles. Speakers advocate concise storytelling, arguing most brands waste ad space as catalogs and that a six-second hook is essential to halt scrolling. Andreas Groke of Videobeat introduces Cultural Cartography and outlines five advertising jobs a video should fulfill: make me laugh, show me myself, connect me with others, help me, and let me feel, with engagement driving lower costs per impression. Olaf Peters-Kim of Welect proposes choice-driven ads, letting users select between clips such as a Lufthansa ad or ice-cream spot. YouTube is praised for large reach and long session times, but content must be findable and useful. The discussion also covers industry fragmentation (VAST 2.0 vs. VAST 4, VPAID) and the need for open IT structures and TV–online integration. Some analysts foresee streaming as the future of TV advertising for more targeted reach.