In today’s Digest, we discuss the out-of-home advertising (OOH) industry reporting 4.4% growth in Q3, Australia making streamer content quotas law, and China’s AI governance framework winning backing from researchers at DeepSeek and Alibaba.

OOH industry reports 4.4% growth in Q3 

Outsmart has reported a 4.4% rise in OOH revenue for the third quarter of 2025, reaching £376.6m. Digital OOH revenue grew 3.3%, while classic OOH formats surged 6.5%, reversing the long-standing trend of digital leading growth. Digital still accounts for the majority share at 67%, underscoring its dominant position in the UK OOH landscape.

The figures, compiled by PwC, reflect steady demand for outdoor advertising as brands seek visibility in a competitive market. According to the Chair of Outsmart, Justin Cochrane, “A strong third quarter for Out of Home demonstrates advertisers’ continued demand for the flexibility and scale it offers.”

Streamer content quotas become law in Australia

Australia’s federal parliament has passed legislation requiring major subscription video-on-demand services, including Netflix, Disney+, and Prime Video, to invest in local productions. The law applies to platforms with more than one million domestic subscribers, mandating they allocate 10% of their Australian spending or 7.5% of revenue, toward original Australian content. Non-compliance could result in fines up to ten times a streamer’s annual revenue in the country.

The quotas have been widely praised by industry bodies and creatives, who say the measure will secure jobs and strengthen Australia’s screen sector. Arts Minister Tony Burke called the legislation a “guarantee” that Australian stories will feature prominently on global streaming platforms. The law is also expected to benefit composers and music creators, with Australian copyright collectives noting that post-production requirements will create new opportunities for local talent. 

China’s AI framework wins support from DeepSeek

Researchers from DeepSeek and Alibaba Group have voiced support for China’s emerging AI regulatory system while calling for more transparent feedback mechanisms. Their views were published in the US journal Science in a paper titled “China’s emerging regulation towards an open future for AI”. The paper describes China’s approach as fostering an “innovation- and openness-friendly” environment for developers but argues that a comprehensive national AI law would strengthen governance.

Co-author Zhang Linghan, a law professor involved in drafting a proposed AI law last year, said China has shifted from being a follower to a leader in AI regulation, a development she called significant. Among the contributors were Fu Hongyu, head of AI governance at Alibaba’s research arm AliResearch, and Wu Shaoqing, who leads governance efforts at DeepSeek. The paper aims to clarify China’s “pragmatic” regulatory model for international audiences amid ongoing misconceptions.