MadTech Daily: Omnicom Tests AI Agent Media Buying; Australia Forces Big Tech to Pay for News

In this episode of The MadTech Podcast, ExchangeWire's head of marketing, Grainne Reid, is joined by CEO Rachel Smith and COO Lindsay Rowntree.Index Exchange has deployed the world's first containerised DSP on its new cloud infrastructure. The team discuss the technical side of Index Cloud and how it changes bid mechanics on the open web. The second story covers Meta's plans to extend its advertising offerings into CTV. Finally, they look into News UK's synthetic audience-planning tool, Times ExplorAItion, and the ways publishers are leveraging their first-party data to better target audiences.0:00 Introduction0:58 Bedrock Platform debuts first containerised DSP15:12 Meta looks to CTV to fuel advertising growth26:55 News UK launches tool with Times first-party data

On today’s MadTech Daily, we discuss Meta being found in breach of EU law over child safety and it opening its ads ecosystem to third-party AI. We also cover big tech surpassing $100bn in Q1 ad revenue as well as Uber expanding into hotels through an Expedia deal.

On today’s MadTech Daily, we look at Omnicom testing AI agents to cut out ad tech middlemen as it reports its Q1 results, Australia forcing big tech to pay for news or face a 2.25% tax, and retail media ad spend seeing 30.5% growth in Q4 2025. 

On today's MadTech Daily we discuss Pinterest launching CTV audiences following its tvScientific deal, Google signing a Pentagon agreement for ‘any lawful’ AI use, and Anthropic testing AI-to-AI commerce in an internal marketplace pilot.

On today’s MadTech Daily, we discuss Meta eyeing CTV to fuel ad growth, News UK building a synthetic audience tool to sharpen targeting and prove ROI, plus Musk and Altman heading to trial in a high-stakes battle over OpenAI’s future. 

In today’s MadTech Daily, we discuss ChatGPT beginning to show ads to logged-out users, and Norway planning an under-16 social media ban as Turkey passes an under-15 ban. We also look at Meta launching an Instagram spinoff app, ‘Instants’.

What was the minimum spend commitment from advertisers on ChatGPT ads? Which marketing spend category was the standout performer in Q1 of 2026? What is the percentage of active social media users in the UK in 2026?In this quiz edition of The MadTech Podcast, ExchangeWire's head of marketing, Grainne Reid, is joined by COO Lindsay Rowntree and head of content, John Still. They look into advertising on AI platforms, the latest IPA Bellwether Report, and the decline of social media use in the UK.---0:00 Introduction1:05 Price drops for ChatGPT ads9:51 IPA Bellwether Report: Q1 2026 marketing spend20:36 Active UK social media users decreasing

On today’s MadTech Daily we cover WBD shareholders approving the Paramount–Skydance merger, WPP restructuring its commerce capabilities, and PayPal targeting streaming TV ads.

On today’s MadTech Daily we discuss Bedrock Platform piloting Index Exchange’s new Index Cloud, the Consumer Federation of America suing Meta Platforms over alleged scam advertising practices, and Radiocentre urging MPs to reject advertising on BBC platforms. 

On today’s MadTech Daily we cover California filing a price-fixing legal claim against Amazon, Singapore proposing a global standard for generative AI testing, and Apple naming John Ternus as CEO successor to Tim Cook.