In more good news, Pixalate reports a notable 11% decrease in programmatic ad spend going to made-for-advertising websites since October 2023. Sites flagged as MFA in the U.S. alone still account for 12% of programmatic ad spend. And no less than two thirds are selling ads through Google Ad Exchange.
Any hint that ad fraud might be just a little more under control is welcome. Research from Integral Ad Science finds ad fraud rates dropping back to 2019 levels. Brand risk was stabilized and viewability showed slow but steady growth, touching record high levels.
Leaving the Summer Olympics way behind, linear TV political ad spend is projected to hit over $7 billion this year. But the growth in political advertising for CTV is outpacing all other formats. If you think this will send costs soaring for ad inventory for everyone else, you’re right.
A U.S. district court judge has ruled that Google acted to create illegal monopolies in online advertising technology in a way that blocked competition and allowed higher ad prices to be charged. Google will appeal; meantime, the government will decide what to ask the court to do to remedy the monopoly. Google also faces a new U.K. antitrust lawsuit over its dominance of search.