In today’s Digest, we look at Omnicom testing AI agents to cut out ad tech middlemen as it reports its Q1 results, Australia forcing big tech to pay for news or face a 2.25% tax, and retail media ad spend seeing 30.5% growth in Q4 2025. 

Omnicom tests AI agents for media buying as it reports Q1 results 

Omnicom has begun executing live media buys with AI agents, marking a significant step toward automating programmatic advertising and reducing reliance on intermediaries. Speaking during its Q1 earnings call, CEO John Wren said the company has already run campaigns for several clients using an agent-to-agent framework, where software autonomously purchases ad inventory directly from publishers. 

The system, built around the Ad Context Protocol, enables AI agents to negotiate and transact media buys with minimal human intervention. According to Omnicom’s head of AI, Paolo Yuvienco, the infrastructure has already been tested with real spend flowing through to publisher inventory.

Meanwhile, Omnicom reported solid first-quarter 2026 results, with revenue reaching USD$6.2 bn (£4.90bn) and organic growth of 3.9% across its core operations. For the quarter ended 31st March, the company posted operating income of USD$646.2m (£510.5m), or USD$861.4m on a non-GAAP adjusted EBITA basis, delivering a 14.8% margin. 

Australia forces Big Tech to pay for news 

Australia is moving to tighten rules on Big Tech’s relationship with news publishers, unveiling draft legislation that would force platforms to pay for journalism or face a levy on local revenues. The proposed News Bargaining Incentive (NBI) would apply to companies including Meta, Google, and TikTok. 

Under the plan, platforms would be hit with a 2.25% levy on Australian revenue unless they strike commercial deals with local publishers. That rate could fall to 1.5% if sufficient agreements are reached, potentially returning between A$200m (£104m) and A$250m (£130m) annually to the country’s news industry.

According to communications minister Anika Wells, the policy is a response to  audiences increasingly accessing news through social and digital platforms. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese described journalists as central to keeping communities informed. 

Retail media ad spend sees 30.5% growth in Q4 2025

The Advertising Association and WARC have updated their Advertising Expenditure Report to better reflect shifts in the UK media landscape, reporting that total ad investment reached £46.7bn in 2025, up 6.4% year-on-year. Data from Q4 2025 showed ad spend rising 8% year-on-year to £12.9 bn, with strong growth across retail media (30.5%), addressable TV (26.9%) and social media (22.0%). Search remained the largest channel overall in 2025, accounting for 38.3% of total spend, followed by social media and TV.

The refreshed report introduces revised channel definitions and a simplified reporting structure, with retail media and social media now disclosed as standalone categories for the first time. The update follows collaboration with industry bodies including IAB UK, IPA and ISBA, among others, to better align reporting with current trading practices.

Looking ahead, the report forecasts further growth, with UK ad investment expected to increase 6.6% to £49.8bn in 2026 and 5.6% to £52.6bn in 2027. Future updates will focus on emerging areas such as influencer marketing and generative AI-driven advertising.