Observed Signal · Apr 8, 2026 · Interview · Source: AdExchanger · Impact: 2/5 · Sentiment: Negative
Publishers Push Back Against 'Corrosive Intermediaries'
Danny Spears, COO of publisher alliance Ozone, discusses how publishers face a "perfect storm" of macro pressure, signal loss and declining referral traffic that is straining programmatic revenue. Founded in 2018 by major UK news publishers including The Guardian and The Telegraph, Ozone pools inventory and data to increase publishers' leverage against platform dominance and what Spears calls "corrosive intermediaries" that reallocate publisher margins. Spears highlights publisher responses ranging from the Daily Mail’s investment in premium user experiences and creator programs to smaller outlets like Our Media shifting distribution away from Google SEO to platforms such as Apple News. The conversation covers healthy supply-side optimization for buyers and sellers, Ozone’s US expansion, and how platform-centric attribution complicates publishers’ ability to prove value—issues that affect the sustainability of journalism and publisher monetization strategies.
Highlights publisher-side strategies and structural problems in the programmatic supply chain—relevant to publisher monetization and ad-tech economics—but does not announce major platform policy changes or a market-moving product.
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Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- Ozone was founded in 2018 by a group of major UK news publishers including The Guardian and The Telegraph.
- Danny Spears is COO of publisher alliance Ozone and described current challenges as a "perfect storm" of macro pressure, signal loss and traffic dips.
- Ozone’s model pools inventory and data from premium digital media brands to increase leverage against dominant platforms and intermediaries.
- Daily Mail (an Ozone member) is investing in premiumizing its user experience and creator-style programs; Our Media shifted distribution away from Google SEO and is a major content provider to Apple News.
- The episode discusses Ozone’s US expansion and the difficulties platform-centric attribution creates for publishers proving their value.
Connected Companies & Entities
2 Entities mappedRelated Market Signals & Shifts
Recent verified developments and strategic activity across this market segment.
Ozone and Content Ignite Partnership Expands UK Publisher Monetisation
Ozone has partnered with publisher monetisation platform Content Ignite to open Ozone’s demand and monetisation technology to Content Ignite’s publisher partners. Ozone, originally formed as The Ozone Project in 2018 by The Guardian, News UK, The Telegraph and Reach, has expanded to include other publishers such as Mail Metro Media and The Independent. Content Ignite’s Fusion ad tech platform is used by more than 400 publishers — including The Observer, Global, Haymarket, The Weather Channel and PinkNews — whose publishers will now gain access to Ozone’s prebid server capability. Ozone says the move aims to give specialist and independent publishers access to monetisation technology typically available to larger publishers, with Ozone’s CTO Danny Spears highlighting the strategic importance of broader access to such technology.
TeqBlaze Joins AgenticAdvertising.org to Boost Sell-Side Agentic Ads
TeqBlaze, an independent ad tech vendor, has joined AgenticAdvertising.org (AAO), the nonprofit trade organization behind the Ad Context Protocol (AdCP) for agentic advertising. Since earlier this year, TeqBlaze has been testing AdCP through its Sales Agent MVP, a free environment for publishers and SSPs. The agent allows sellers to add inventory via a simple interface or TeqMate AI prompt, receive requests from buyer agents, and approve or reject deals, with human sign-off required before rendering and invoicing. This membership provides TeqBlaze with access to AAO's working groups and governance. The move underscores the industry's shift toward agent-to-agent selling. TeqBlaze, which joined IAB Tech Lab in 2024, also participates in its Agentic Advertising Management Protocols (AAMP) and ARTF efforts, highlighting the need for interoperability across parallel protocol initiatives.
Ozone launches Arc, evolving its platform to deliver performance-led outcomes
Ozone, the leading digital advertising business, today announces the launch of Arc, a new product capability that helps advertisers optimise […]
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