Welcome to The Refresh, your weekly download of what actually matters in advertising. Brought to you by Marketecture Media and written by AdTechGod. Every Thursday, we bring you the latest news, commentary, and memes that speak the truth about this industry. If it's happening in AdTech, media, or marketing and it’s interesting, it’ll be here.
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Netflix to sell ads through Amazon’s DSP (Ad Age)
AI-Driven Ad Tech Acquisitions (AdExchanger Podcast)
Rembrand Merges With Spaceback to Build AI-Powered 'Ad Factory' (Adweek)
US Tech Giants Race to Spend Billions in UK AI Push (Wired)
YouTube CEO Says Revenue From Its TikTok-Like Shorts Videos Is at Parity With Core YouTube in U.S., Other Countries (Variety)
LinkedIn Awards Creative Account to McCann in Latest Agency Shakeup (Adweek)
The Trade Desk Stock Sinks After Morgan Stanley Downgrade (Adweek)
TikTok lives: US, China in deal for app to keep operating in US (Reuters)
Agents, Not People: How AI is Rewriting Ad Operations with Joe Hirsch
Joe Hirsch, the CEO of Swivel and former CEO of SpringServe, shares his journey through the ad tech industry, discussing his experiences with affiliate marketing, ad serving, and the evolution of ad operations.
Signals, Suitability, and Streaming: Rob Norman’s Guide to Modern Ad Strategy
Rob Norman discusses the transformation of streaming from a disruptor to a mainstream advertising platform. He emphasizes the importance of understanding diverse user experiences across platforms, the significance of data and audience signals, and the shift from brand safety to brand suitability.
Comscore Debuts ‘The Scoreboard’ to Make Media Trends Public
Comscore has launched The Scoreboard, a consumer-facing site offering monthly insights on TV, streaming, movies, and social media trends. The platform will feature data on viewership, box office performance, and online chatter, with its State of Streaming Data report to follow later this year. Unlike Nielsen’s The Gauge, which tracks viewing shares, Comscore aims to highlight how audience behavior connects to broader cultural and business trends.
Google Faces DOJ Push to Sell Its Ad Exchange AdX
The U.S. Department of Justice is demanding Google fully separate and sell its ad exchange, AdX, going beyond the company’s earlier divestiture proposals. A two-week hearing begins next week after a judge found Google illegally monopolized ad tech markets. Regulators in the U.S. and EU accuse Google of favoring its own tools, with the EU recently fining the company €3B ($3.5B). The DOJ wants AdX sold and its technology made interoperable with rivals.
Magnite Sues Google Over Alleged AdTech Monopoly
Magnite has sued Google, alleging it monopolized ad exchange and publisher ad server markets by forcing advertisers into AdX and manipulating auctions. The company says these practices hurt publishers, cut its profits, and led to layoffs. The case follows similar lawsuits from OpenX and PubMatic, and comes after a U.S. judge ruled Google illegally dominated adtech and the EU fined it $3.5B. Magnite seeks damages and restrictions on Google’s conduct, while Google rejects the claims as baseless.
Google Could Use the RTB Control to Burn Down RTB
Alan Chapell from The Monopoly Report explores the latest Google court settlement that would require Google to create an "RTB Control" — a user-enabled kill switch that would prevent Google from sharing UIDs in AdX. Alan asks the question: Who will the RTB Control hurt most? If your answer is Google, you might want to think again.
Vimeo to Be Acquired by Bending Spoons in $1.38 Billion Deal
Vimeo will be acquired by European app developer Bending Spoons in a $1.38 billion all-cash deal, set to close in late 2025. Bending Spoons, which has previously cut staff and restricted features at Evernote and WeTransfer after acquisitions, says it plans major investments in Vimeo’s creator, enterprise, and streaming products, with a focus on AI-enabled features.
FiveThirtyEight’s Rise and Fall: Lessons from Data Journalism’s Pioneer
Alex Brownstein of 3C Ventures traces how Nate Silver’s FiveThirtyEight revolutionized journalism with data-driven forecasting but ultimately shut down in 2025. After early success with The New York Times and rapid growth under ESPN, the brand faltered due to poor organizational fit, reliance on ad revenue, and lack of succession planning. Brownstein notes that its editorial innovation outpaced its business model. The site’s legacy remains in mainstream adoption of polling aggregators, probabilistic models, and data-driven storytelling—now staples of modern media.
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