Issue #53: CTV Centre Sage

☕ Morning, media makers

Coffee at the ready? Here’s your scan of the week’s biggest adtech news so far.

🗞️ Top Stories

1. Havas CEO denies WPP deal rumours
   After reports Havas was exploring acquiring a stake in WPP, CEO Yannick Bolloré told staff the group is “not in discussions” with the UK holding company.

   ADWEEK

2. Blis tops IPA Digital Media Owners Autumn 2025 survey
   IPA agencies rated Blis the best digital media owner to work with, ahead of GumGum, Reddit and more on service and partnership metrics.

   Decision Marketing

3. ISBA survey shows 2026 budgets shifting to brand building
   The survey finds 65% of UK advertisers expect higher budgets next year, with plans to invest into video and retail media, not only performance channels.

   The Media Leader

4. IAB Tech Lab unveils Agentic RTB Framework
   With the goal to speed up RTB and standardise programmatic integrations, IAB Tech Lab’s Agentic RTB Framework v1.0 is now available for public comment.

   MarTech

5. Magnite launches Live Scheduler for live TV advertising
   The new tool, Live Scheduler, turns live events into standardised, targetable inventory so buyers can plan and measure campaigns more effectively.

   PPC LAND

💭 60-Second Take – CTV takes centre stage

On the back of Samba TV’s UK State of Streaming report last week the velocity of positive CTV news continues. This week alone, Magnite’s Live Scheduler, MIQ’s Titan OS data deal, Channel 4’s Smart Ad Engine and ISBA’s 2026 budget signals all point the same way - CTV is where the next phase of video growth will happen.

What does this mix tell us about where CTV might be heading next year?

• Will CTV become the default brand-growth screen?
  ISBA shows advertisers shifting money out of linear and into connected, data-driven TV, while Samba finds UK homes using fewer streaming services but spending more time across these high-attention environments.

• Is the infrastructure finally catching up?
  Magnite is standardising live events so they can be planned, targeted and measured like any other programmatic buy and MIQ is accessing CTV operating system data to optimise CTV alongside other digital video surfaces.

• Can CTV become an effective medium for smaller advertisers?
  Gen AI is lowering the creative barrier for SMEs, while smarter planning tools and improving inventory make TV feel less like playground exclusive to big brands and more like an addressable video channel any serious marketer can use.

This ongoing movement moves suggest CTV may well become the primary video canvas for brand building in 2026 and beyond. YouTube viewing continues to shift to TV screens and Amazon DSP better enables CTV with ad tools and inventory partnerships across services like Netflix and Disney+.

The real test is whether marketers will design for CTV on its own terms, approaching creative and measurement in the right way, or continuing to treat it as a bolt-on to existing plans.

Got feedback, suggestions or interested in partnerships? Hit reply and let us know.

See you next time,

Access Adtech