This week, the advertising and media landscape saw major consolidation, growing regulatory pressure and a continued shift towards AI-powered commerce and content. In today’s MadTech Daily, we discuss investors betting on a USD$2tn (£1.50tn) IPO valuation for Anthropic and Tencent’s AI push sending capex soaring 176%. 

The advertising measurement sector is set for further consolidation after Nielsen agreed to acquire DoubleVerify for approximately USD$2.15bn (£1.61bn) in an all-cash deal. The acquisition follows the USD$1.9bn (£1.42bn) take-private of rival Integral Ad Science last year.

Meanwhile, Meta faced another legal setback after a New Mexico judge ordered the company to pay an additional USD$567m (£419.5m) over allegations that its platforms harm children. The latest ruling brings the total penalty in the case to USD$942m (£697.4m) and requires Meta to strengthen safety measures across its apps.

Publishers, too, are pushing back against Big Tech. Nearly 300 French newspapers have filed a complaint with France’s competition authority over Google’s AI-generated search summaries, arguing that the feature could further reduce traffic to news websites.

At the same time, platforms are finding new ways to turn content into commerce. YouTube has expanded its shopping affiliate programme to eligible UK creators, allowing them to tag products in videos, Shorts and livestreams and earn commissions on sales. The move gives creators and retailers another route into social commerce, with participating merchants including Wayfair, Currys, Boots, M&S and Etsy.

Streaming platforms are also expanding their content mix. Disney+ and Hulu are adding six iHeartMedia video podcasts to their US catalogues, including shows hosted by the Jonas Brothers and the cast of Boy Meets World.

Elsewhere, Australia's advertising industry is consolidating its own infrastructure, with AANA and ADMA announcing plans to merge into a new Marketing Association of Australia. And in China, Alibaba is testing paid tiers for its Qwen AI assistant as it explores whether users will pay for premium AI capabilities in a market where many competing tools remain free.