Takeaways from NewFronts 2026: AI, Connections, Commerce
The Interactive Advertising Bureau held its NewFronts 2026 this week, with players from Google to Comcast to Meta making their pitch to advertisers. As usual, there was a lot of talk about content and tech along with announcements of new ad formats and data solutions.
On the marketing front, we’ve heard a great deal about the collapse of the funnel over the last decade or so. At NewFronts this week, it was about the collapsing of distinctions — at least when it came to how we talk about video across platforms.
Consumers, said IAB CEO David Cohen, “never cared about these distinctions. They move seamlessly between … platforms. Often in the same hour.”
But while consumers navigate this seamlessly, “advertisers and the broader ecosystem? Well not always.” One of the biggest issues facing marketers, said Cohen, is “can digital video be easier to buy, to measure, and to understand.”
Publishers and platforms have been making that promise across the Upfronts and NewFronts for a few years now, but thanks to advances in AI, it seems to be becoming more of a reality.
Some of this year’s top trends:
AI Power
Sure, one could be forgiven for having AI exhaustion. But media buying, selling, planning, strategy, optimization, and measurement where AI is making steady progress and showing real-world results — and without the criticism that sometimes accompanies generative creative AI. Google kicked off the week with a presentation anchored by Gemini.
Whereas other companies are offering AI-enable solutions, Google VP of Agency Platforms & Client Solutions Kristen O’Hara positioned Google as “the full-stack AI company, from the silicon to the search bar.” The Gemini-enabled Google Marketing Platform is making possible unified inventory, biddable live sports, and even Ads Advisor, an agent that will help marketers with campaign setup, optimization and monitoring, and campaign reporting. Gemini also closed out the week as part of YouTube’s presentation. With more than 3 million creators within the YouTube Partner Program, it will be the brain that helps brands find trusted voices for their campaigns.
Meanwhile, Yahoo unveiled that its new AI answer engine and intelligence platform is now live in beta in the U.S.
Even traditional media companies are turning to AI. Comcast’s Outcomes+ delivers enhanced outcomes with a portfolio of AI-powered products activated by the company’s first-party data and attribution products backed by best-in-class partnerships.
Amazon Everywhere
Although Amazon didn’t hold a NewFronts presentation, Amazon Ads kept popping up. Three separate presenters — Samsung, Tubi, and — announced new partnerships with Amazon Ads. Tubi said its strategic partnership with Amazon will enhance scaled precision and performance. For Comcast Advertising, an expanded partnership with Amazon Ads will give local and SMB business advertisers access to Prime Video, delivering programmatic access to this premium streaming inventory.
Connecting content to commerce
One of the bigger announcements involving Amazon Ads came from Samsung, which will bring Amazon’s remote-enabled Interactive Video Ad technology directly to Samsung TV Plus. The first external CTV device partner to offer the capability through Samsung’s integration with Amazon DSP, it will allow viewers to shop directly from a Samsung TV screen.
Not to be outdone, Walmart and Vizio, in their first fully unified presentation since the retailer acquired the TV manufacturer last year, said that moving forward they would implement a unified login. According to Walmart, “the new, streamlined login simplifies setup while establishing a secure identity framework across devices, connecting streaming engagement directly with retail interaction.”