December 22, 2025  |  SIGN UP

 
Sara Jerde

Sara Jerde
DIGIDAY, MANAGING EDITOR

If publishers had one Christmas wish, it’d be for the chaos to end. Digiday asked 10 publishers if they could have one wish granted for Christmas, what would it be? It wasn’t tricky to identify a theme.

Elsewhere:

  • We ranked the various AI platforms and their relationships to publishers
  • Media giant Essence launches a marketplace for Black women-led brands
  • The state of AI referral traffic in 2025
  • The top trends in the media industry for 2025

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Top stories

 
 

ZERO-CLICK FUTURE

What publishers are wishing for this holiday season: End AI scraping and determine AI-powered audience value

Publishers want a fair, structured, regulated AI environment and they also want to define what the next decade of audience metrics looks like. 

GENERATIVE AI

Digiday Scorecard: Publishers rate Big Tech’s AI licensing deals

Digiday has compiled a scorecard grading AI platforms to make sense of the growing number of players in the AI content licensing market.

PARTNER INSIGHTS FROM NEXXEN

Why the second wave of first-party data will encompass more than brands and agencies

As the market moves toward greater fragmentation, signal loss and scrutiny, the time has come to realize the value of the first-party data of publishers, commerce media networks and social platforms.

RETAIL REVOLUTION

Media giant Essence launches a marketplace for Black women-led brands

Essence has launched WeLoveUs.shop, a new online marketplace dedicated to Black women-led brands.

A MESSAGE FROM PADSQUAD

Why reach isn’t enough if the ad experience doesn’t make an impact

While the guiding principle in advertising has long been “the right person, the right message, the right time,” it has rarely happened in reality. The industry has refined targeting and timing, but the creative hasn’t seen the same attention. Yet, what’s the point of delivering an ad if it’s not relevant?

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ZERO-CLICK FUTURE

The state of AI referral traffic in 2025

The stats reveal a new audience pipeline forming outside of traditional search and social platforms.

MEMBER EXCLUSIVE

Media Briefing: The top trends in the media industry for 2025

This week’s Media Briefing takes a look at the top trends from 2025, from digital advertising revenue performance to AI licensing deals.

PARTNER INSIGHTS FROM KEEN DECISION SYSTEMS

How agencies can ace their next RFP

Modern media planning relies on a system that was built 20 years ago, leaving agencies struggling to effectively forecast outcomes or optimize their investments. As marketers start thinking about 2026, they’ll need to turn to platforms that can provide the data needed to create the most effective forecasts and plans.

 

Other things to know

 
 

PARTNER INSIGHTS FROM ACTIVISION BLIZZARD MEDIA

Gaming’s relevancy is established — now brands are pushing it as a marketing solution

Gaming is no longer a specialty channel. It’s a mass-reaching media environment shaped by audience choice, cross-platform fluidity and measurable business outcomes. The focus has now shifted to framing gaming as a solution to core marketing challenges.

PARTNER INSIGHTS FROM THE WEATHER COMPANY