FreeWheel vs Perion

CTV Ad Consumption Grows Across Europe

FreeWheel, a Comcast company, released its Video Monetisation Report for the first half of 2026, revealing that Connected TV (CTV) now accounts for 53% of premium video ad views in Europe, up from previous periods. Premium video ad views overall increased 20% year-over-year, and programmatic CTV ad views grew 44%. Live programming's share of ad views rose to 32% from 25% in the second half of 2025. The report, based on aggregated data from the FreeWheel platform, highlights the shift toward streaming and programmatic buying, with broadcasters integrating linear and digital inventory. It also notes improvements in data availability and transparency, with enriched data increasingly incorporated into bid requests. Emmanuel Josserand, Senior Director at Comcast Advertising, emphasized the growing opportunity for advertisers and the need for broadcasters to evolve their streaming and programmatic strategies.

• CTV accounted for 53% of premium video ad views in Europe in H1 2026.
• Premium video ad views in Europe increased 20% year-over-year in H1 2026.
• Programmatic CTV ad views grew 44% year-over-year in H1 2026.

FreeWheel Video Monetization Report: 1H 2026

This VMR explores how streaming growth is delivering value for publishers, outcomes for advertisers, and relevant ad experiences for viewers.

FreeWheel Launches New Knowledge Hub and Publishes New Report: Why Brands Need TV

FreeWheel has added a new Knowledge Hub to its website and published a new report titled 'Why Brands Need TV: How Streaming Captures Viewer Attention That Drives Performance'. The report is featured prominently on the insights page, replacing the previous AI in TV Advertising report as the top item.

6-K Financial Filing Analysis for Perion (2026-08-26)

On August 26, 2026, Perion Network Ltd. announced via Form 6-K the acquisition of PRN, a prominent in-store retail media company. PRN maintains exclusive multi-year partnerships across major North American retail networks, significantly expanding Perion's digital out-of-home (DOOH) and retail media footprint. This strategic acquisition enhances Perion's omnichannel advertising capabilities, enabling advertisers and brands to reach high-intent consumers directly at the point of sale.

• Perion Network Ltd. announced the acquisition of PRN, a leading in-store retail media network provider.
• PRN brings exclusive multi-year retail partnerships across some of North America's largest retail chains.
• The Form 6-K report was signed and formally filed by Chief Financial Officer Elad Tzubery on August 26, 2026.

SQREEM Appoints New CEO, Touts Behavioral Model Over LLM

SQREEM, a behavioral intelligence company, appointed Stephen Yap as its new CEO. Yap, former CRO at Perion and a long-time Google executive, will lead the company's push to market its Large Behavioral Model (LBM) as a superior alternative to LLMs for predictive analytics. SQREEM's LBM uses state-space models to analyze behavioral correlations from real-time social media and open-web data, without relying on machine learning. The company claims this approach can generate audience personas and predict consumer behavior, citing examples like the correlation between green tea consumption and travel insurance purchases. SQREEM also demonstrated the model's practical use during the Cyclospora outbreak, helping a grocer client pivot its communication strategy based on audience insights.

• SQREEM appointed Stephen Yap as its new CEO on September 23, 2026.
• Stephen Yap previously served as CRO at Perion and spent nearly two decades at Google.
• SQREEM's Large Behavioral Model (LBM) uses state-space models, not machine learning or LLMs.

Perion Acquires PRN, a Leading In-Store Retail Media Company

Perion acquires PRN, adding in-store media to complete the customer journey, with exclusive multi-year partnerships across some of North America’s largest retailers, for up to $12 million.