2026: AI Maturation, Consolidation, and Evolving Creator Economies Reshape Media

The Digiday Podcast · January 06, 2026 · Listen to Original Episode →

Original Title: 'The year where the dust settles': Digiday editors share 2026 predictions

TL;DR

OpenAI's potential ad products face a competitive disadvantage against Google's established playbook, risking late market entry despite ongoing internal discussions and recent reports of ad product exploration.
The Omnicom-IPG merger's second-order effects will be a key focus, testing the agency model's proposition during a year of anticipated integrated pitches and client scrutiny.
WPP's precarious position, following a CEO change and client departures, could signal the "death knell" for the conglomerate model if its strategic plan fails to revive interest.
AI's maturation in 2026 will be critical for publishers and agencies, moving beyond trial phases to tweaks and potential layoffs, shaping a clearer thesis for future years.
The consolidation of TV and streaming assets, including potential Netflix-Warner Bros. Discovery deals and Paramount's takeover attempts, will create significant ripple effects across the industry.
Personalized content generation via AI, exemplified by the Disney-OpenAI deal, poses a brand safety crisis and challenges traditional IP control, potentially fragmenting creativity into comfortable silos.
The Google ad tech antitrust case remedies are expected to have minimal impact due to their timing and nature, with Google likely to maintain market dominance.
The evolving creator economy will see dynamic brand insertions and upfront-style deals, forcing a reevaluation of pricing models and potentially clarifying the distinction between influencers and creators.

Deep Dive

Digiday editors anticipate 2026 as a year of settling dust following a period of significant industry upheaval, driven by the maturation of AI, major consolidation in advertising and media, and evolving creator economies. While the immediate future remains uncertain, particularly with ongoing political dynamics, the core implication is that established business models will face profound tests, forcing adaptation or obsolescence.

The advertising landscape will be reshaped by OpenAI's potential entry into ad products, challenging Google's long-standing dominance with a playbook yet to be proven at scale. This development, coupled with the ongoing evolution of AI in content creation, suggests a shift in how ad spend is allocated. The Omnicom-IPG merger, and the subsequent pressure on WPP, will highlight the strain on traditional agency models as clients increasingly seek integrated solutions and potentially explore in-house capabilities or platform-driven advertising. Simultaneously, the creator economy is poised for further professionalization, with shifts in monetization strategies and a potential redefinition of "influencer" versus "creator" as usage rights and dynamic brand insertions become more central to deal-making. Publishers, meanwhile, face continued pressure from AI platforms siphoning traffic and content, raising questions about their ability to retain intellectual property and secure fair compensation, potentially mirroring historical cycles of reliance on tech platforms.

The implications of these trends are profound for market participants. For AI, the key question is not just its adoption but its maturation, leading to potential layoffs and a clearer understanding of its strategic value for publishers and agencies. The consolidation of major advertising holding companies will create a starker bifurcated market, intensifying competition and potentially forcing a strategic reevaluation for those not part of the largest entities. In media, the potential Netflix-Warner Bros. Discovery deal, alongside other acquisition speculation, signals a continued drive for scale and IP consolidation, but also introduces complexities around regulatory scrutiny and the potential for new, AI-driven content personalization models that challenge traditional IP ownership. The ad tech space, particularly concerning Google's ad tech antitrust case and the competitive dynamics between platforms like Google's DV360 and The Trade Desk, suggests a market where data advantages and integrated ecosystems will increasingly dictate success, potentially marginalizing independent players. Ultimately, 2026 is framed as a year where the strategic choices made now regarding AI, consolidation, and new monetization models will determine who thrives and who struggles in the significantly altered media and advertising ecosystem.

Action Items

Audit OpenAI's advertising plans: Assess market entry timing and competitive landscape against Google's established playbook.
Analyze Omnicom-IPG merger second-order effects: Evaluate impact on existing and new clients during upcoming integrated pitches.
Track WPP's strategic response: Monitor AI product and white-label service effectiveness in revitalizing business performance.
Measure AI's impact on content creation barrier: Identify beneficiaries of lowered entry costs for AI-generated content on tech platforms.
Define AI terminology and success metrics: Establish consistent definitions for terms like Generative AI and AI agents to enable accurate evaluation.

Key Quotes

"I think the big one I is is open ai -- and their long gestating advertising kind of plans will be will be interesting to see if they're too late on that given that, you know, kind of Google is is is is, you know, kind of set to launch their own sort of play at some point this year too, and unlike open ai, they have a playbook that is kind of tried and tested, battle hardened."

Seb Joseph highlights the potential challenge for OpenAI in entering the advertising market. Joseph points out that Google, with its established and proven advertising strategies, may present a significant competitive hurdle for OpenAI's nascent ad plans. This suggests that OpenAI's timing and execution will be critical for its success in this space.

"I think if last year was the year of a bunch of loose ties, I think this will be the year where the dust settles through all of the stories that Seb mentioned, but I think to speak even more broadly because it has ties in all of them, how AI is going to mature this year is going to be really critical to the success of publishers to media agencies."

Sarah Jerde frames 2026 as a year of resolution and maturation, particularly concerning AI's impact. Jerde suggests that after a period of uncertainty and fragmented developments in the previous year, 2026 will be when the consequences of these trends become clearer. Jerde emphasizes that the advancement of AI will be a key determinant of success for various industry players.

"For me, like when it comes to thinking about the TV and streaming industry, I mean, it's Netflix, Warner's -- but that's also why I felt like I need to timestamp my comments here because this week alone, we had Paramount get back in the game with its hostile takeover attempt of Warner Brothers Discovery."

Tim Peterson timestamps his observations due to the rapid and unpredictable nature of news in the TV and streaming industry. Peterson notes the ongoing consolidation and potential mergers, specifically mentioning Paramount's attempt to acquire Warner Brothers Discovery as a significant event. This indicates the volatile and dynamic landscape of media company acquisitions.

"I think when the dust settles around some of these lawsuits, we'll have better clarity onto who gets to be the ultimate victor and maintain their IP. And right now, authors, media companies, publishers, I think have kind of seen the short end of the stick."

Seb Joseph discusses the ongoing legal battles surrounding intellectual property (IP) and their impact on publishers. Joseph suggests that the outcomes of these lawsuits will clarify ownership and rights, but currently, publishers and content creators are at a disadvantage. This highlights the critical need for publishers to establish stronger positions regarding their IP in the evolving media landscape.

"Not just, like, the question of like AI agents get involved and things like ad context protocol and the agentic RTB framework, but I mean, I guess potential big one is this Google ad tech antitrust case and the remedies."

Tim Peterson points to the intersection of AI and ad tech, specifically mentioning AI agents and their potential integration into programmatic advertising. Peterson also highlights the significant Google ad tech antitrust case as a major development to watch. This indicates that both technological advancements and regulatory actions will shape the future of ad technology.

"I think on the DSP front, yeah, that will be the kind of big ad tech story next year. This year's next year, this year, whatever it is, it's all the same time's a circle. But I think it'll be a continuation of of what we've seen this year, right? The Trade Desk under pressure, but I think if it was really just about kind of Amazon making an inroads to that, I do think next, mostly DV360s start to be a bigger force in market."

Seb Joseph anticipates that the demand-side platform (DSP) landscape will be a key focus in ad tech. Joseph expects continued pressure on The Trade Desk, with Amazon and Google's DV360 becoming more prominent players. This suggests a market shift where established players face increasing competition from tech giants with significant data advantages.

Resources

External Resources

Articles & Papers

"report on conversations going on within OpenAI regarding an ad products" (The Information) - Mentioned as evidence of OpenAI's potential ad product development.
"piece on this you know on the back of kind of the vibes tab launching" (Tim Peterson) - Discussed as an example of content analyzing AI's impact on content creation.
"study where talking about all the money being spent on creators from advertisers" (IAB) - Referenced for data on advertiser spending in the creator economy.
"article about like OpenAI really wants McDonald's to put Ronald McDonald on Sora" (The Wall Street Journal) - Cited as an example of potential branded content integration with AI video generation.

People

Sub - Executive editor of news at Digiday, discussed predictions for 2026.
Sarah - Managing editor at Digiday, discussed predictions for 2026.
Kamika McCoy - Senior marketing reporter at Digiday, discussed predictions for 2026.
Tim Peterson - Executive editor of video and audio at Digiday Media, discussed predictions for 2026.
Bob Iger - CEO of Disney, mentioned in relation to potential acquisitions and succession planning.
President Trump - Mentioned in relation to potential government intervention in media ownership.
Mike Cavanaugh - President of Comcast, mentioned regarding Comcast's bid for Warner Bros. Discovery.
Josh D'Amato - Mentioned as a potential successor to Bob Iger at Disney.
Dana Walden - Mentioned as a potential successor to Bob Iger at Disney.
Ryan Coogler - Mentioned as an example of a skilled filmmaker.
Mr. Beast - Mentioned as an example of a creator with a long-term business strategy.
Michelle Carré - Mentioned as a creator who could utilize dynamic brand insertions.
Cleo Abraham - Creator mentioned in relation to YouTube's upfront-style presentation.
Mark Rober - Creator mentioned in relation to YouTube's upfront-style presentation.
Cindy Rose - New CEO of WPP, discussed in relation to her strategic plan for the company.
G Young Kim - Mentioned as floating the idea of engagement metrics for brand and creator deals.
Ellen Savage - Mentioned as discussing a meta DSP wrapper for buying through multiple DSPs.

Organizations & Institutions

Digiday - Host of the podcast and publisher of the discussed content.
CES - Consumer Electronics Show, mentioned as an event reporters attend at the start of the year.
OpenAI - Discussed in relation to its advertising plans, GPT-5, and a deal with Disney.
WPP - Mentioned in relation to its new CEO, client losses, and potential acquisition.
Omnicom - Mentioned in relation to its acquisition of IPG and its implications for the agency model.
IPG - Mentioned in relation to its acquisition by Omnicom.
Netflix - Mentioned in relation to potential mergers and its role in the streaming wars.
Warner Bros. Discovery - Mentioned in relation to potential mergers and its role in the streaming wars.
Paramount - Mentioned in relation to its takeover attempt of Warner Bros. Discovery.
Disney - Mentioned in relation to its deal with OpenAI and succession planning for its CEO.
Federal Communications Commission (FCC) - Mentioned in relation to broadcast network oversight.
Justice Department - Mentioned in relation to potential government intervention in media ownership.
Comcast - Mentioned as the owner of NBC Universal and its past bid for Warner Bros. Discovery.
NBC Universal - Mentioned as being owned by Comcast.
Google - Discussed in relation to its ad products, antitrust case, and DV360.
Amazon - Mentioned in relation to its ownership of MGM and its DSP.
MGM - Mentioned as being owned by Amazon.
YouTube - Discussed in relation to testing dynamic brand insertions with creators.
TikTok - Mentioned as a platform where creators operate.
Meta - Mentioned in relation to its DSP and potential takedown tools.
Apple Podcasts - Mentioned as a platform for leaving comments and reviews.
The Wall Street Journal - Publication mentioned for an article about OpenAI and McDonald's.
The Information - Publication mentioned for a report on OpenAI's ad products.
IAB - Mentioned for a study on creator spending.
Mind Grove - Organization mentioned in relation to a meta DSP wrapper.

Tools & Software

ChatGPT - Discussed in relation to potential ad rollouts.
GPT-5 - Mentioned as a release by OpenAI.
Gemini - Mentioned as a tool used for animating content for children.
DV360 - Discussed as a Google ad tech product and its market position.

Websites & Online Resources

Vibes Tab - Mentioned in relation to a piece by Tim Peterson analyzing AI's impact.
FTSE 100 - Mentioned in relation to WPP dropping out of the index.

Other Resources

AI (Artificial Intelligence) - A central theme discussed throughout the episode, covering its impact on advertising, content creation, and media.
Generative AI - Discussed in relation to its role in content creation and potential for personalization.
AI Agents - Mentioned as a topic for potential definition and discussion in 2026.
Machine Learning - Mentioned in relation to its distinction from generative AI.
User Generated Content (UGC) - Discussed as a growing component of ad businesses and creator deals.
Third-party cookie - Mentioned in relation to Google's transition and its impact on advertising.
IP (Intellectual Property) - Discussed in relation to publishers, AI, and potential licensing agreements.
Ad Tech - Discussed in relation to antitrust cases and market dynamics.
Programmatic Workflows - Mentioned in relation to AI agents and potential changes.
RTB (Real-Time Bidding) - Mentioned in relation to agentic RTB framework.
DSP (Demand-Side Platform) - Discussed in relation to Amazon, Google, and The Trade Desk.
UGC (User Generated Content) - Discussed as a growing component of ad businesses and creator deals.
Creator Upfronts - Mentioned as an attempt by creators to establish upfront-style deals.
Dynamic Brand Insertions - Discussed as a feature YouTube is testing with creators.
Brand Safety - Discussed as a concern related to AI-generated content and IP usage.
Media Literacy - Implied as a skill needed to navigate AI-generated content.
Creator Economy - Discussed in relation to monetization strategies and career longevity.
Usage Rights - Discussed as a critical factor in creator/brand deals.
Ad Context Protocol - Mentioned in relation to AI agents in programmatic workflows.
Agentic RTB Framework - Mentioned in relation to AI agents in programmatic workflows.
Meta DSP - Discussed as a potential wrapper for buying through multiple DSPs.
UGC (User Generated Content) - Discussed as a growing component of ad businesses and creator deals.
Creator Upfronts - Mentioned as an attempt by creators to establish upfront-style deals.
Dynamic Brand Insertions - Discussed as a feature YouTube is testing with creators.
Brand Safety - Discussed as a concern related to AI-generated content and IP usage.
Media Literacy - Implied as a skill needed to navigate AI-generated content.
Creator Economy - Discussed in relation to monetization strategies and career longevity.
Usage Rights - Discussed as a critical factor in creator/brand deals.
Ad Context Protocol - Mentioned in relation to AI agents in programmatic workflows.
Agentic RTB Framework - Mentioned in relation to AI agents in programmatic workflows.
Meta DSP - Discussed as a potential wrapper for buying through multiple DSPs.