Observed Signal · May 4, 2026 · Interview · Source: AdExchanger · Impact: 2/5 · Sentiment: Positive
Use Video to Fight AI Search Traffic Loss
This is an interview with Jared Collett, Senior Director of Ad Operations at Major League Fishing (MLF), on publisher monetization and content strategy amid traffic declines driven by generative AI search. Collett describes MLF’s shift toward hosting livestreams on its own site, using SSAI-stitched ad breaks (livestream commercials and pre-rolls), plus display, sponsorship takeovers, email and social extensions. He says hosting livestreams on-site yields higher revenue per view versus third-party platforms and that partnerships (e.g., Rumble) can be useful for distribution. Collett reports ancillary content has seen traffic loss from AI search and recommends publishers increase video production and be cautious but pragmatic about adopting AI tools in workflows. He will speak at AdExchanger’s Programmatic AI event in May 2026.
Practical, actionable publisher guidance about video-first strategies and on-site livestream monetization to mitigate traffic loss from AI search — relevant to publishers but not industry-shifting.
Track Rumble Signals & Market Shifts in Real-Time
Polaris7 autonomous intelligence agents track regulatory filings, primary sources, executive changes, and deal flow 24/7. Create your free Explorer workspace to monitor these entities.
Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- Jared Collett is Senior Director of Ad Operations at Major League Fishing.
- Major League Fishing hosts livestreams on its own website with SSAI-stitched ad inserts for livestream commercials and pre-rolls.
- MLF offers display ads, sponsorship homepage takeovers, email and social audience extension in addition to livestream ad inventory.
- MLF partnered with Rumble to allow ad breaks on that platform and to gain distribution.
- Collett says MLF has experienced traffic loss on some ancillary content due to generative AI search and recommends publishers produce more video.
Connected Companies & Entities
4 Entities mappedOntology Mapping & Concepts
Related Market Signals & Shifts
Recent verified developments and strategic activity across this market segment.
AI-Assisted Video: Enhancing Content Without Generating It
This AdExchanger opinion piece (June 26, 2026) by Alyssa Boyle summarizes a StreamTV Show panel on how AI can be used to enhance human-made video content without fully generating it. Panelists from Google TV, NBCUniversal, Spectrum Reach and Transmit described practical uses of AI in video production — such as virtual camera effects, visual overlays, scene-level contextual targeting and sports-focused highlights — that improve production efficiency and viewer attention. Publishers like NBCU use AI to place contextually relevant ads and to audit creatives before they go live; platforms and short-form formats (e.g., Instagram Reels’ 'AI Edits') disclose AI edits that change angles and zooms. The article frames “AI-assisted” or “AI augmentation” as a middle ground to increase engagement while avoiding consumer backlash to clearly AI-generated content.
AI in Advertising: Promising Yet Cautious Adoption Ahead
An AdExchanger content studio piece, citing new research with Comcast Advertising, examines where AI is producing measurable gains in streaming advertising. Survey respondents say AI is reshaping ad buying (77%) but many have yet to see meaningful impact (61%). The article highlights three practical areas of progress: AI-enabled buying for live sports (including agent-to-agent transactions and 'agentic' buying), semantic audience search and LLM-driven audience segmentation, and use of AI to convert video metadata into contextual signals for targeting and measurement. Measurement and attribution via agentic AI agents are presented as a major near-term opportunity. Adoption remains cautious—only 30% of advertisers trust AI to perform advertising tasks—so integration approaches that preserve human control are likely to gain traction.
AI Boosts Data Insights But Slashes Publisher Traffic
AI’s promise to unlock monetizable audience data is colliding with a sharp drop in publisher traffic as AI search tools shift user behavior. At AdMonsters’ Sell Side Summit in Austin, publishers reported traffic declines of 30% or more since the launch of AI overlays, with On3 noting its audience growth this year was flat. Yet the industry sees opportunity in first‑party data and AI‑driven insights: some publishers are pursuing data monetization, direct relationships, and off‑site engagement while continuing to optimize on‑site inventory. People Inc. highlighted its D/Cipher contextual targeting platform and a Feedfeed acquisition to diversify revenue. Mediavine touts 17,000 publishers and advocates direct deals and OpenPath with The Trade Desk. Arena Group credits its Encore AI platform with turning prior revenue declines into profitability by segmenting audiences and tailoring monetization. The takeaway: AI amplifies first‑party data but also accelerates a reordering of middlemen and pricing signals.
Track Real-Time Market Signals & Shifts
Set up custom watchlists to receive automated, evidence-grounded executive digests whenever material signals or shifts occur across your tracked landscape.