How AI’s hit to publisher traffic is quietly rewiring media M&A

November 27, 2025 Publishers' traffic has dipped since AI tools arrived — and the fallout isn't limited to audience or ad revenue. It's now weighing on the media mergers and acquisitions (M&A) market, making deals harder to price during a time of disruption, according to investors and analysts. Advertisement TOP STORY Navigating Economic Instability How AI's hit to publisher traffic is quietly rewiring media M&A Publishers' AI-driven traffic declines are cooling M&A, stalling deals and lowering valuations. Some analysts are optimistic about 2026. In a resource-constrained environment, some view AI as the solution to inefficiencies while others worry that AI risks accelerating waste. Partner insights from Blockboard. Go shopping with Global CMO of Assembly, Bria Bryant, as she unpacks the new consumer journey from both a marketing and consumer perspective in this video. Partner insights from MiQ. As AI evolves from automation to autonomy, marketers are rethinking how campaigns run and how marketing organizations operate. Virgin Money is using AI-driven audience optimization so its agency team can focus on strategic tasks — all while reaping the rewards of improved performance as noted by its agency partner, mFuse. Partner insights from Quantcast. MEDIA & PLATFORMS Member exclusive Digiday+ Research: Where publisher revenue stands with ads, video, content licensing and subscriptions Digiday+ Research conducted a survey among nearly 40 publisher professionals in Q3. Here is what they had to say about their different revenue sources. OpenAI's new ChatGPT shopping tool promises 'in-depth' research — just not for Amazon products OpenAI is rolling out a new AI-powered shopping tool inside ChatGPT that researches products online, reads reviews and compares options according to users’ specific needs and preferences. PARTNER INSIGHTS FROM NEXXEN Investments publishers must make to compete in the zero-click era The rise of zero-click search has disrupted the once-reliable flow of referral traffic from search for many publishers. Done right, curation enables publishers to replicate and even expand the reach they once enjoyed from search. A MESSAGE FROM MASTERCARD COMMERCE MEDIA How marketers drive scale and prove ROI with every ad Amid tighter budgets and rising expectations, Mastercard Commerce Media is helping brands rise to the challenge. With rich data-driven insights and precise card-linked attribution, advertisers can confirm their budgets are being well spent — with a proven ROAS up to 22x. Built with privacy by design and fit for scale, Mastercard Commerce Media delivers smarter, more personal placements and measurable results. Learn more Agency Culture Overheard in the Media Agency Report: How Assembly, IPG, Horizon and others use AI and will spend on ads in 2026 In this is behind-the-scenes look at Digiday's 2025 Media Agency Report, ad execs discuss how the GDP and international sports could impact 2026 spend and how agencies and their clients are actually applying AI tools. PARTNER INSIGHTS FROM FLUENT The post-checkout offers driving engagement and discovery Consumer attention is at its peak post-purchase, and savvy brands are using the moment as an opportunity to capture revenue.   Advertisement MARKETING Evolving Agencies Intended or not, the new Omnicom will forever change agencies as we've known them The world’s largest agency holding company is born. But there may come a day soon where it can no longer be called an agency, but rather a broker and re-seller. PARTNER INSIGHTS FROM ADSTRA How composable identity takes companies beyond the basics of consolidation Identity provider consolidation is not simply a technical measure or a procurement task for companies. Centered around composability, it is a broader business shift in how organizations approach data management, performance measurement and activation support. Navigating Economic Instability In Graphic Detail: CMOs at a crossroads of power and proof CMOs are closing out another year defined by churn and shifting ground. FROM DIGIDAY+ Member exclusive Media Buying Briefing: Understanding 24 Seven's move to become a mini-holdco with three complementary agencies The staffing consultancy moved to acquire performance agency Markacy and creative shop Futureman, adding them to tech platform-turned-agency SketchDeck Written by Jim Cooper and Sara Jerde Were you forwarded this email? Sign up to get it daily. Advertise | Digiday+ | Events | Awards Update your email | Unsubscribe | Privacy policy