“Where is my ad actually running?” is a more common refrain in the industry even as U.S. investments in CTV are forecast to rise 11% in 2026. Advertisers are sceptical about the quality of connected TV inventory, with 43% of buyers expressing somewhat or no confidence despite using trusted buying methods.

Forbes’ Top Creators 2026 ranking measures that evolution using estimated earnings, audience size, engagement, and entrepreneurial success. The result is a snapshot of how digital creators are becoming some of the most influential media entrepreneurs in the world.

All video is not the same — especially when it comes to how and where you watch it. So should measurement reflect that? The IAB says the bottom line is that “digital video has a language problem." That is because all types of digital video platforms, including mobile, reference themselves as ‘CTV’, which is still the cool new kid on the block.

A report from the IAB and Guideline found that many marketers view interactive capabilities as crucial to investment in the channel.

Marketers are struggling to reap the full benefits of their steep investments in measurement, including when it comes to budget decision-making, according to a new report from Ebiquity and the World Federation of Advertisers.

AI won't be a panacea in advertising, Digitas North America CEO Amy Lanzi says, comparing the current hype to the rise of programmatic advertising, which failed to fully automate processes. Lanzi says AI could improve workflow and data analysis, but human creativity remains essential for compelling storytelling. "I think the minds and complexity of humans make great stories that you are attracted to," Lanzi says. "I'm not using the word creative. I'm using stories.

But using hindsight to inform your future plans means better foresight, too. That’s the idea behind Blueprint, a campaign-planning tool built on over a decade of past campaign data. Advertisers can buy an individual platform or brand’s proprietary data off the shelf, but it can be challenging to find a way to “daisy chain them all together."

Across panellists at this year’s IAB Commerce and Retail Media Summit, more consistency and standardisation is gaining momentum, and industry leaders agree common definitions, metrics and measurement frameworks are essential to build trust. But they’re equally clear: Complete standardisation is unrealistic.

The MRC, which is in the process of a major reevaluation of its existing standards and guidelines related to the acceleration of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine-learning models and their impact on media measurement, this afternoon released some interim guidance focused on nine core principles related to AI in media measurement

OpenAI's ad business has quickly evolved in its first four months, introducing features such as cost-per-click bidding and a conversions API based on market feedback, says global head of ads David Dugan. The company plans to continue this rapid development, leveraging its AI-first approach and lack of legacy infrastructure. "We started with the principles about being super focused on user trust," Dugan says.