Sky and Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) have expanded their long-term partnership in the UK and Ireland. The new agreement will now include the ad-supported version of Max, WBD’s premium streaming service bundled for Sky customers at no extra cost, when it launches in the UK and Ireland in early 2026, adding to the WBD content already available on Sky Cinema and Sky Atlantic. Now UK and Ireland members will also receive bundled access to the ad-supported version of Max.
LG Ad Solutions, the TV manufacturer’s ad platform, and sell-side ad company Magnite have announced a renewal of their global relationship, spanning North America, APAC, and EMEA. LG Ad Solutions is leveraging Magnite’s SpringServe ad server to power several new activations, including its webOS all-in-one smart platform. Advertisers can also now use Magnite’s ClearLine self-service solution to access and purchase LG’s video inventory.
Digital media measurement company DoubleVerify has announced the launch of its Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) Website Avoidance & Detection solution, helping advertisers to navigate the risks posed by low-quality, AI-generated content. Poor quality signals evaluated by the solution include repetitive cookie-cutter formats, chatbot-generated text within articles, placeholder content, and other markers that may concern advertisers. Currently, DV’s GenAI classification applies to English-language content with plans to launch across other languages in the future.
Mantis, Reach PLC’s brand suitability and contextual ad solutions provider, and LadBible have announced a partnership to deliver advanced data solutions. Through this partnership, Mantis will deploy its suite of “Mantis Data” solutions to support brand suitability, safety, and contextual advertising. Additionally, LadBible can now leverage Mantis’ bespoke contextual audiences.
Future, the media company behind brands such as Marie Claire, Tom’s Guide, and Go.Compare, has renewed its partnership with content recommendations platform Taboola. In the new deal, Future will continue to implement Taboola’s suite of products to help grow its audience, optimise user engagement, and drive revenue across its portfolio. Future will also continue to utilise Taboola Feed and Explore More.
According to Quantcast data, John Lewis has come out on top in this year’s Christmas ad battle. The Gifting Hour helped increase John Lewis’ UK addressable audience by 32% in November 2024, compared to the benchmark taken in September this year. Asda’s The Gnomes of Christmas advert came in a close second, with an increase of 27%, while the M&S advert, which sees a young girl bring her family together using a magic snow globe, resulted in a 26% increase.
Puma is teaming up with TikTok Shop for the latest UK Super Brand Day. Running from 18 to 20 December, the collaboration will feature a series of live shopping events with exclusive discounts and gifts. Creators including Dawn Love and Samantha Louise will showcase the deals Puma has to offer.
The Brandtech Group and Adobe have entered into a partnership that will see Adobe Firefly Servies integrated into Brandtech’s Pencil Pro platform. Clients using Pencil Pro will be able to interoperate between Adobe Photoshop, Adobe After Effects, and generative AI workflows within Pencil Pro.
Programmatic platform axis has partnered with connected TV ad monetisation platform TriCoast in a bid to enhance CTV supply opportunity for publishers and advertisers. While TriCoast connects directly to the Axis platform, advertisers using Axis’s connector will still have access to TriCoast’s inventory.
Over half of UK marketers (55%) are turning to AI to strategically plan and refine their seasonal marketing campaigns, according to data released by Optimizely. Surveying 100 UK marketers, the research asked for their perspectives on AI, personalisation, and how they create outstanding customer experiences around key shopping seasons. Almost half of UK marketers (47%) will use AI as a fundamental part of their seasonal marketing campaigns this year. To add to that, 43% are using AI to craft highly personalised content.
