Kantar Media

EDO Launches Engaged Audience Planning for Upfronts

EDO (The Outcomes Company) unveiled Engaged Audience Planning, a software overlay that lets advertisers model reach-versus-response trade-offs inside existing planning stacks. The module uses what EDO calls "vertical AI" and a dataset tracking 110 trillion linear and streaming impressions to forecast intent signals (search spikes, site visits, app-download activity) alongside traditional reach metrics. EDO says the tool integrates with audience systems from Nielsen, VideoAmp and Kantar Media and programmatic optimizers such as DoubleVerify’s Scibids AI, positioning itself as an outcome-focused overlay rather than a currency. The company cites an unnamed advertiser seeing a more-than-threefold engagement lift in testing. Independent validation, integration costs and performance versus attention metrics remain outstanding questions for buyers ahead of live Upfront deals.

Paramount Skydance to Acquire Warner Bros. Discovery

Paramount completed a major acquisition of Warner Bros for USD $111 billion, consolidating a wide roster of streaming services and channels (Warner Bros’ film and TV catalogue, Paramount+, CBS, Showtime, Nickelodeon, MTV, HBO Max and HBO Library, Pluto TV FAST streaming, and Discovery+ unscripted content). The merged group is expected to serve up to 200 million subscribers globally, boosting negotiating power but adding significant debt for Paramount. The deal reshapes competition alongside Netflix (325M subs by end-2025), Amazon (220M), and Disney+ (~132M). YouTube remains dominant in long-form viewership and ad revenue (over $40.4B in 2025). Industry responses include further collaboration—Amazon Ads and Netflix inventory integrations via Amazon DSP, broadcaster joint ventures (Freely), and a Sky/ITV/Channel 4 unified TV advertising marketplace—highlighting ongoing consolidation and cross-platform ad-market innovations.

AI's YouTube Dependency Grows; Podcasting Embraces Ad-Driven Content

Research and audits indicate large language models (LLMs) increasingly cite YouTube — including creators’ sponsored content that may not be marked in metadata — making video scripts and metadata more important for brand visibility in AI outputs. Separately, generative-AI driven “made-for-advertising” (MFA) publishers have expanded into podcasts: The Daily News Now! (DNN), founded in 2025, reportedly publishes thousands of AI-generated short episodes daily and appears to scrape local outlets for source material. Financial pressures from inference costs are squeezing AI companies: OpenAI’s inference costs rose to $8.6 billion in 2025 and Anthropic also saw large increases and margin hits. The roundup also notes related industry moves such as Kantar Media’s rebrand to Fifty5Blue and a CTO hire at Digital Turbine.