impact.com vs Rakuten Advertising

Awin, CJ, Partnerize, impact.com CEOs to Map Industry's Future

The CEOs and co-founders of Awin, CJ, Partnerize, and impact.com will join forces for a keynote at PI LIVE Europe to discuss the future of the affiliate and performance marketing industry. The discussion comes as the industry faces significant shifts driven by AI, including the rise of AI shopping agents and changing customer journeys. Recent research cited in the article shows 72% of AI platform users use AI for product research, 42% of consumers use AI tools for shopping, and Mastercard predicts one in ten will routinely use AI agents to shop by 2030. The leaders will address the need for new measurement and attribution models beyond last-click, aiming to scale the industry tenfold. The keynote will be moderated by Jennifer Goodwin.

• Awin, CJ, Partnerize, and impact.com are participating in a joint keynote at PI LIVE Europe.
• The keynote features CEOs and co-founders Sean Sewell, Todd Crawford, Adam Ross, and Santi Pierini.
• The discussion aims to map out the future of the affiliate and performance industry.

impact.com Powers Minecraft’s First-Ever Affiliate Program and Unveils Next-Generation AI Partnership Technology

impact.com announces a new press release covering Minecraft's first-ever affiliate program and the unveiling of next-generation AI partnership technology.

impact.com Powers Minecraft Affiliate Program, Unveils AI Partnership Tech

impact.com reported Q2 progress including Minecraft selecting its platform to power Minecraft’s first-ever affiliate program, the unveiling of next-generation AI-powered partnership technology at its iPX event, and continued customer growth. The company added over 700 customers in the quarter, growing its base to more than 6,500 brands. New platform capabilities announced include AI-powered partnership assistance and autonomous agents, a public Model Context Protocol (MCP) connector, creator storefronts, improved creator discovery and faster payouts. impact.com also published benchmark research ahead of Amazon Prime Day and highlighted its industry recognitions and podcast audience growth.

• Minecraft selected impact.com to power its first-ever affiliate program.
• impact.com added more than 700 new customers in Q2, bringing its global customer community to more than 6,500 brands.
• At its iPX event, impact.com unveiled AI-powered partnership assistance and autonomous agents, a Model Context Protocol (MCP) connector, creator storefronts, social amplification features, and faster creator payouts.

Mirai Wins 2026 MarTech Breakthrough Award for AI Innovation

Rakuten Advertising’s Mirai has been named AI-Powered Marketing Decision Engine of the Year in the 2026 MarTech Breakthrough Awards. Discover how this agentic AI platform is transforming affiliate and performance marketing.

FAST Hits Mainstream TV, Forces Ad Market Rethink

Rakuten TV Enterprise market studies show FAST (Free Ad‑Supported Streaming TV) has become mainstream in Germany and Europe, changing how advertisers plan CTV campaigns. In Germany 79% of respondents use FAST daily or several times a week (Europe ~74%), and four in five view FAST as a primary or alternative way to watch TV. Most FAST viewing (94%) happens on TV devices. Advertiser acceptance of ads in streaming is high if ads are relevant; 82% of European respondents accept advertising in streaming contexts. Advertisers are shifting investment and measurement priorities: CTV is a standard channel (100% of surveyed advertisers use or plan to use it), 72% of German advertisers plan to raise CTV spend, and attention, context and brand impact are rising measurement priorities. Rakuten highlights an "Advertiser‑Viewer Gap" that the industry must address.

• Rakuten TV Enterprise published two studies: "The FAST Advantage" and "Beyond the Break" examining FAST usage and advertising attitudes.
• In Germany 79% of surveyed users said they use FAST offerings daily or several times per week; Europe-wide the figure is ~74%.
• 94% of FAST viewing occurs on TV devices; 60.7% of respondents expect to use FAST more in the future.