The Refresh News: Agencies, AI, and the Streaming Shake-Up

In this episode of The Refresh News, host Kait unpacks a headline-heavy week across the advertising industry, setting the stage for big Cannes conversations. From Warner Bros. Discovery’s strategic split to Mark Read’s departure from WPP, and a flurry of pre-Cannes product rollouts, this episode highlights how the future of media, agency relevance, and AI-powered innovation are all colliding in real time. 

- Warner Bros. Discovery will divide into two focused businesses—Streaming & Studios vs. Global Networks—with cable taking on the debt burden as the company bets fully on streaming.

 -WPP CEO Mark Read is stepping down amid pressure and stock declines, with the holding company finally embracing an ad tech and AI-first future years later than needed.

 -WPP’s recent moves—acquiring InfoSum, consolidating under WPP Media, and investing in AI—mark a delayed but necessary transformation for agency survival.

 -Multiple vendors including FreeWheel, Mediaocean, The Trade Desk, and Basis Technologies announced major product innovations focused on CTV, retail media, AI, and data integration ahead of Cannes.

 -The episode emphasizes that agencies must evolve from service vendors to tech-powered solutions providers or risk becoming irrelevant in a self-serve media world.

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