Episode 154: Marketecture Wrapped: Predictions, Year-in-Review, and Shout-Outs from Eric and Ari

In this episode, Ari Paparo and Eric Franchi reflect on the past year in ad tech and discuss their predictions from the previous year, the growth of Marketecture, and the biggest news stories in the industry. They highlight key CEOs and companies, explore current trends, and make predictions for the upcoming year, particularly focusing on the impact of AI and the evolving landscape of CTV advertising.

Takeaways

• Our audience was up 200% year over year on Spotify.
• This year was the year of strategic M&A in ad tech.
• AI tools were rolled out by many companies this year.
• TikTok didn't get banned, but it will be controlled by a US entity.
• Live streaming continued to grow significantly this year.
• Sundar Pichai of Google had an incredible turnaround year.
• YouTube and Netflix are creating a duopoly in streaming.
• Content marketplaces will become a big thing next year.
• The in-app advertising space is heating up due to competition.
• 2026 will see a significant rise in M&A activity.

Chapters

00:00 Year-End Reflections and Predictions

03:04 Marketecture's Growth and Achievements

06:03 Evaluating Last Year's Predictions

11:55 Biggest News in Ad Tech

15:01 CEO Highlights and Trends

20:58 Current Trends in Ad Tech

22:31 The Streaming Duopoly: YouTube and Netflix

24:18 The Impact of CTV Consolidation on Advertising

25:44 The Rise of Agentic AI in Advertising

26:49 Spotlight on Hot Startups: Swivel and Branch Labs

29:28 Predictions for 2026: M&A and Market Dynamics

32:33 Learning from the Best: Key Podcast Insights

37:08 The Future of Google and CTV Advertising

41:13 The In-App Advertising Landscape: A New Era

43:21 The TikTok Election: Shaping Political Advertising

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