Weekly
Roundup

What moved in creator, advertising, media and technology

Presented by AIVANTA

A quiet week for launches and a loud one for money changing hands — settlements, acquisitions and a $30 million contract that never reached an agency.

Creator and influencer marketing

6

29 AugThe New York Times

Campaigns are paying influencers without disclosing it

An investigation found political campaigns quietly paying social media creators to post about candidates and issues, without always disclosing the arrangement.

27 AugPA Media

Iggy Azalea invests in Fanvue's parent company

The rapper and entrepreneur backed Shift, the AI company behind creator platform Fanvue, which the release places inside a $1.3 trillion creator economy.

24 AugNet Influencer

YouTube takes its 24/7 Stations beyond music

The always-on livestream format now extends to creators, podcasts and other media.

25 AugTrend Hunter

Partner Program payouts shift toward engagement

YouTube updated the program to reward creators on audience engagement rather than raw view counts alone.

27 AugZacks, via TradingView

American Eagle leans on TikTok Shop for demand

Analysts flagged the retailer's expanded creator programs and TikTok Shop presence as a potential demand driver.

25 AugNet Influencer

Amazon, Epic Games and Twitch open creator roles

The weekly hiring tracker highlighted new creator-economy openings across all three companies.

Advertising

5

24 AugAd Age

The live review tracker catalogues every open pitch

Ad Age's updated tracker lists the brand creative, media, PR and social reviews currently in play across the agency world.

26 AugPRWeek UK

Dentsu warns the fight for pitches is intensifying

Leadership said holding companies are competing harder for the same major new-business assignments.

24 AugAdNews

Scale alone no longer buys holding companies an edge

The trade title argued that size has stopped guaranteeing a competitive advantage.

26 AugFortune

DraftKings hands a $30M contract to a former president

The marketing assignment went to an executive who had recently stepped down, during a difficult stretch for the company.

28 AugCapital Gazette and The Business Journals

Crosby Marketing cuts 20 after a contract loss

The Annapolis communications firm laid off staff following the loss of a government contract.

Media

5

27 AugSportsPro

DAZN buys EverPass to go deeper into US sports

The acquisition is tied to the streamer's broader push into the American sports market.

27 AugSportsPro

Sports Illustrated's parent acquires Magnifi

The owner said the deal will accelerate its product roadmap and global expansion.

24 AugCNBC

The Paramount–Warner Bros. Discovery challenge cools deal-making

The antitrust fight is creating a chill that could hold up other pending media transactions.

24 AugThe Movie Blog

Netflix has nearly doubled its advertising business

The piece framed the shift as streaming turning back into television.

26 AugBusiness Wire

Reyna launches a creator-led platform for Latina audiences

The release calls it the first of its kind, debuting with flagship station Reyna 103.1 FM in Los Angeles.

Technology

6

27 AugTechCrunch

OpenAI brings ads to ChatGPT in India

Free and Go subscription tiers will carry advertising, and OpenAI said the ads will not influence the chatbot's answers.

24 AugPasquale Pillitteri

ChatGPT ads reach 31 European markets

The rollout to users across the region began at the start of the week.

26 AugDC Attorney General

Meta to pay up to $17.1B over features aimed at children

The District's Attorney General announced a settlement of claims that Meta built intentionally addictive social features that exploited children.

27 AugReuters

Poland asks the EU to fine Meta €250M

The competition authority also pressed for stronger action against scam and fraudulent advertising on the platforms.

24–28 AugPPC Land

AI agents gained write access to live campaigns

The week in review also noted automated bot traffic overtaking human traffic on some ad networks.

26 AugStock Titan

Perion buys PRN for in-store retail media

The deal adds placements across more than 4,500 stores as Perion targets the $70 billion retail media category.

Brands changing agencies

3

25 AugMorningstar

WellBiz Brands names Walden Media Group

The agency was named approved partner for the franchise group.

28 AugAdweek

Home Depot hires a dedicated retail media leader

The appointment featured in Adweek's weekly retail roundup.

26 AugFortune

DraftKings routes $30M around the agency market

The marketing contract went to a recently departed former company president rather than an outside shop.