In today’s Digest, we cover the BBC Group and YouTube striking a strategic UK partnership, the FTC moving to appeal a Meta antitrust ruling, and the IPA launching the IPAi Forum focused on generative AI.

BBC and YouTube strike strategic partnership

The BBC and YouTube have announced a wide-ranging strategic partnership that will see fresh investment in YouTube-first programming, expanded collaboration to spotlight shared national moments, and the launch of a major creator skills and training initiative across the UK. The partnership forms part of the BBC’s “value for all” strategy, aimed at ensuring its content reaches audiences wherever they are, alongside its core services such as BBC iPlayer and BBC Sounds, where the new programmes will also debut simultaneously. It’s intended to help the broadcaster remain visible and relevant as viewing habits continue to fragment.

Under the agreement, the BBC will expand its YouTube activity across four priority areas. These include building targeted communities for children and young adults through new channels, promoting flagship BBC programme brands to reach lighter users, delivering trusted, high-quality news via new global channels and innovative formats, and driving commercial growth by connecting global fandoms with brands, partners and creators. 

The move builds on strong existing performance, with BBC data showing 15 billion annual YouTube views of BBC Studios content and rapidly growing watch time and engagement worldwide.

Beyond commissioning new content, the collaboration will support the government’s Creative Industries Sector Plan through investment in UK-based creators and skills development across the industry. The initiative will offer workshops and events to help 150 media professionals build expertise in digital-first production. 

FTC to appeal Meta antitrust ruling

The US Federal Trade Commission has confirmed it will appeal a judge’s decision to dismiss its antitrust case against Meta, reopening a legal battle that has already stretched on for more than four years. The original ruling, delivered in November, was a significant setback for the regulator, yet the appeal will now send Meta back to court and prolong the dispute into a fifth year. Based on the case history so far, there is little indication that the FTC’s position has materially strengthened since the initial judgment.

The lawsuit, first brought in 2020, accused Meta of maintaining a social media monopoly through sustained anti-competitive behaviour, with particular scrutiny placed on its acquisitions of Instagram and WhatsApp. 

However, the market landscape has evolved considerably since the case was launched, complicating the regulator’s claims. The rapid rise of competitors such as TikTok has challenged Meta’s dominance and captured a substantial share of digital advertising spend, undermining the assertion that meaningful competition cannot emerge. While this dynamic weakens the FTC’s monopoly argument, the regulator remains determined to test its case once more in the appeals court.

IPA launches IPAi Forum focused on generative AI

The Institute of Practitioners in Advertising has unveiled IPAi Forum, a new free thought-leadership initiative aimed at helping agencies make sense of generative AI and its real-world application across the industry. The platform is positioned as a practical resource rather than a hype-driven showcase, focusing on how agencies are already using AI, where it is delivering measurable value, and the common risks to be aware of as adoption accelerates.

IPAi Forum offers guidance on skills development, training, and the legal and regulatory considerations surrounding AI deployment. It also creates space for more candid discussion, addressing questions and concerns that practitioners may be reluctant to raise elsewhere. In doing so, the Forum looks beyond current use cases to examine how AI is likely to reshape agency operations and competitiveness over the longer term.

According to IPA’s director general Paul Bainsfair, “IPAi Forum is based on the maxim that all of us are smarter than any one of us. By sharing the many different ways our industry is already using AI, we hope to provide something valuable for everyone, whatever stage they are at on their AI journey.”