Dan Meier

In this week’s Week in Charts, AI use grows in Cannes Lions entries, WPP Media comes out top in global billings, and US ad tolerance is on the rise.

Earlier this year, Pinterest completed its acquisition of TVScientific, a CTV performance ad platform. The social sharing site then brought its audiences off-platform for targeting in CTV environments, and last month launched Creative Advisor, an AI-powered creative optimisation tool for CTV advertisers.

Agentic AI is changing how agencies plan, buy, activate and optimise media, as well as collapsing the consumer journey. But Slavi Samardzija, Global Chair of Media & Commerce at Stagwell, says this transformation is not just about buying more media, but becoming more precise.

Eight months after Sky and ITV first announced they were in talks over a potential merger, the UK broadcasters this morning announced that they have agreed terms for the deal. The transaction will see Sky acquire ITV’s Media & Entertainment division for a total consideration of up to £1.6 billion. The sum comprises £1.2 billion in cash and up to £0.2 billion in performance-related earn-out, while ITV will also acquire Sky-owned company Love Productions as part of the deal.

In this week’s Week in Charts, Sky and ITV to take 44 percent market share, FAST viewing varies across markets, and AI use in creative measurement is lagging.

This episode features the full VideoWeek Live event from the (extremely) sunny Marea Rooftop in Cannes, with panels and fireside chats covering the telco opportunity in CTV, the importance of “premium” TV to premium brands, and Netflix’s evolution in the advertising space.

On Monday, Sky and ITV announced a £1.6 billion deal for the Comcast-owned company to acquire ITV’s Media & Entertainment division, and the transaction is already drawing speculation from a competition perspective.

Mastercard is still using a lot of TV in its marketing mix, according to Rustom Dastoor, the company’s Executive Vice President, Head of Marketing and Communications for the Americas. However, the way the brand approaches TV is changing. Rather than buying 30-second ad spots, Mastercard is using TV “as a bridge towards social media.”

In this week’s Week in Charts, Matt Brittin on Sky’s ITV acquisition, clients say billing models undervalue agency work, and European digital ad market remains “top-heavy”.

The BBC has called for “radical reform” to ensure its survival in its Annual Report and Accounts for 2025/26, urging the government to use its upcoming Charter review to modernise its regulatory framework and funding model.