FreeWheel vs PubMatic

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.

2026 AdExchanger Awards Gala Honors Industry Best

The 2026 AdExchanger Awards Gala, held in New York City, celebrated excellence in advertising and ad tech, honoring organizations, technologies, and leaders across programmatic media, commerce media, CTV, identity, measurement, AI, and ad tech. Winners included People Inc., PubMatic, DoorDash, Magnite, and Index Exchange. The event took place in conjunction with Programmatic I/O New York and featured a live audience vote for the 'People's Programmatic Pick,' won by Mike Richter of Unplugged Collective. The gala recognized breakthrough technologies, data-driven campaigns, and visionary leadership, setting a standard for performance and innovation in the industry.

• The 2026 AdExchanger Awards Gala was held on September 29, 2026, in New York City.
• Winners included People Inc., PubMatic, DoorDash, Magnite, and Index Exchange.
• Mike Richter of Unplugged Collective won the People's Programmatic Pick award.

The Media Shop and PubMatic Launch Southeast Asia’s First Agentic Luxury Campaign

Press Release, September 30, 2026: The Media Shop and PubMatic launch Southeast Asia's first agentic luxury campaign.

PubMatic CEO Rajeev Goel on Agentic Buying and Cutting Complexity

In an interview with ExchangeWire, PubMatic CEO Rajeev Goel discussed the company's evolution from an SSP to a broader platform, focusing on reducing ad tech complexity and empowering publishers and advertisers through agentic buying. Goel highlighted three pillars: Activate, for direct buyer-SSP transactions; Agentic OS, a suite of 20+ AI agents; and Decision Fabric, which allows agencies and DSPs to run algorithms within PubMatic's infrastructure. He emphasized that AI agents will surpass human traders in accuracy, with governance and reasoning mechanisms for oversight. Goel predicts that agent-to-agent buying will shift power to publishers and advertisers, the 'principals', rather than technology platforms. The company reported 4,000 publisher-created deals using AI year-to-date through Q2.

• PubMatic CEO Rajeev Goel was interviewed by ExchangeWire at ATS London.
• PubMatic has three pillars: Activate, Agentic OS, and Decision Fabric.
• Activate has been in-market for about four years, with hundreds of advertisers using it.