MadTech Daily: Amazon Opens Ad Stack to AI Agents; Uber Returns to Asia via Macau; Publicis Groupe Ends 2025 on a High

In today’s Digest, we look at Amazon opening its ad stack to AI agents, Uber returning to Asia via Macau, and Publicis Groupe ending 2025 on a high.

In today’s MadTech Daily, we cover OpenAI setting a $200,000 minimum spend for ChatGPT advertising, Alibaba’s Qwen heating up the AI app race, and Sky research suggesting the UK could fully shift to internet TV in the 2030s.

On today’s MadTech Daily, we cover the IAB forecasting 9.5% US ad spend growth in 2026 driven by digital and agentic AI, OpenAI eyeing USD$40bn (£29.6bn) in funding from Nvidia, Amazon, and Microsoft, as well as  Nine selling 2GB and 3AW to Arthur Laundy.

In this special episode of The MadTech Podcast, ExchangeWire CEO Rachel Smith is joined by Mazen Mroueh, head of performance product & operations & retail media at Publicis Media in Dubai, to talk about the new phase of retail media.Their conversation looks into shifting consumer behaviours and the move from monetisation to orchestration, exploring how agencies and data collaboration are driving a more sophisticated retail media ecosystem in the MENA region.0:00 The new phase of retail media8:47 Role of the agency16:40 Data collaboration & advertising29:55 Retail media success in 2-3 years

On today’s MadTech Daily we cover Meta planning to nearly double its AI investment amidst Q4 revenue growth, Thailand moving to tighten advertiser verification, and OpenAI teaming with Booking.com for a new UK programme.

Today’s MadTech Daily covers the UK pressuring Google over AI Overview opt-outs for websites, Google axing YouTube vs TV viewing comparisons, and UK advertising hitting £12.5bn in Q3, up 11.4%.

On today’s MadTech Daily, we cover Meta testing premium subscriptions across Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp as well as Google agreeing to a USD$68m settlement over voice assistant privacy claims, while it receives guidance from the EU about how to help search rivals. We also cover YouTubers suing Snap over AI-related copyright infringement.

On today's MadTech Daily, we cover ICE seeking ad tech and big data tools for investigations. We also look at major Meta news, including Threads rolling out global ads and Meta banning teens from AI bots amid a youth addiction trial, as well as WPP retiring Hogarth and launching WPP Production.

On today’s MadTech Daily, we look at TikTok splitting its US app from its global business, YouTube CTV ads enabling shopping, and Netflix doubling ad revenue while eyeing growth in 2026.

“If you think about GAM’s stranglehold, it’s over the open web, and the open web is in decline, so they can make the argument that [they’re] not really a monopoly.”In this episode of the MadTech podcast, ExchangeWire editor Aimee Newell Tarín is joined by co-founder & advisor Ciaran O’Kane and head of content John Still to discuss the TV and video landscape, shifting consumer mindsets in e-commerce, and Google’s legal battles.They look into the BBC’s new partnership with YouTube, Temu catching up with Amazon in global cross-border e-commerce, 5 US publishers filing lawsuits against Google, and Google appealing the verdict in its search antitrust case.0:00 Introduction1:32 BBC and YouTube announce partnership10:52 E-commerce: Amazon & Temu20:57 5 US publishers file lawsuits against Google27:23 Google appeals US landmark antitrust ruling