In today’s Digest, DoubleVerify files a defamation suit against Adalytics, advertisers respond to Elon Musk’s antitrust claims against X, Meta moves to dismiss the FTC’s monopoly case, and YouTube secures NFL Kickoff rights while expanding ad sales around major awards shows.

DoubleVerify Sues Adalytics for Defamation

DoubleVerify has filed a defamation lawsuit against Adalytics, alleging that the company knowingly published false and misleading claims in a report detailing issues with fraudulent traffic in digital advertising.

In the suit, filed in a Maryland district court, DoubleVerify accuses Adalytics of publishing statements with “actual malice” in an effort to undermine its business. The report from 28th March alleged that DoubleVerify’s pre-bid filters failed to block traffic from bots including bots that clearly identified themselves as non-human and implied that advertisers were being routinely charged for invalid impressions. DoubleVerify contends that the report misrepresents how its systems work and damages its reputation within the digital advertising ecosystem. The company claims Adalytics published the findings to promote its own services by disparaging a key player in the ad verification market.

Advertisers Push Back Against Musk's X Lawsuit

Advertisers have fired back at Elon Musk’s lawsuit accusing major brands of conspiring to block ad spend on X, formerly Twitter, in a collective boycott. Brands including Mars, Lego, Nestlé, and Shell have filed a motion to dismiss, arguing that X’s declining ad revenue and platform performance stemmed from self-inflicted damage following Musk’s controversial leadership decisions.

The lawsuit, filed by X earlier this year, alleges that the companies’ involvement in the Global Alliance for Responsible Media (GARM) amounted to a coordinated effort to withhold “billions” in advertising dollars, damaging X’s competitiveness in the digital ad market. But in Wednesday’s filing, defendants claimed the case was simply “an attempt to use the courthouse to win back the business X lost in the free market” after it “alienated many of its customers.”

Meanwhile, Meta is seeking a summary dismissal of the US Federal Trade Commission’s high profile antitrust lawsuit, which aims to dismantle the tech giant’s acquisitions of Instagram and WhatsApp. In a motion submitted Thursday, Meta argued that the FTC had failed to meet the legal burden of proof in its bid to show the company illegally monopolised the social media market.

The FTC trial, underway since mid April, could see closing arguments stretch into June.

YouTube Secures NFL Opener Rights, Expands Ad Inventory to Major Awards Shows

YouTube is scaling up its Connected TV ambitions with a growing roster of premium content partnerships led by an exclusive deal with the NFL to broadcast the opening game of the 2025 season. The platform will stream the match live and free on 5th September, marking the league’s first regular season game in São Paulo, Brazil. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell confirmed the partnership during YouTube’s Brandcast upfront presentation, highlighting the streamer’s role in expanding global reach and fan engagement.

YouTube also revealed it will sell ad sponsorships for the Oscars and Emmys, bolstering its awards show credentials in the premium video ecosystem. At its Brandcast event, YouTube positioned itself as the definitive hub of online culture, spotlighting star creators including MrBeast, Sean Evans, Brittany Broski, and IShowSpeed. The evening culminated in a headline performance from Lady Gaga, amplifying CEO Neal Mohan’s message that YouTube is now “the epicentre of culture — culture with a capital ‘C.’”