Connect+ February 19, 2026

Our latest Connect+ covers major changes in OOH and TV buying, as well as DCW’s March Madness streaming inventory, and the latest major player in AI chat ads.

 March Madness Streaming Inventory

Score big with DCW’s access to premium March Madness streaming inventory. Through our programmatic DSP partner, StackAdapt, we can secure competitive placements under their Live Events packages.

This opportunity combines precise audience targeting and real-time messaging with one of the most emotionally charged, high-engagement moments in sports. Inventory is limited. Reach out to learn how we can position your brand within this high-impact event.

Google Enters AI Chat Ads

Google is the next major player entering AI chat advertising, following Open AI’s recent ChatGPT rollout. Google has previewed new formats, including product placements within AI-generated answers and Promoted Offer ads that embed advertiser promotions directly into responses. All placements will be clearly labeled as sponsored, consistent with paid search results. As AI-powered discovery becomes more integrated into consumer behavior, these formats represent another evolution in search and visibility.

Looking to increase your brand’s presence across AI chats and search environments? DCW can help you navigate emerging ad formats while strengthening your SEO and AEO strategy to maximize visibility and traffic.

OOH Standardization

Out-of-home is entering a more standardized era, a meaningful shift for advertisers. Industry groups and major media owners are aligning around shared definitions for placements, venue classifications, and delivery reporting. As more OOH inventory becomes digital, this consistency simplifies planning across vendors and markets while reducing discrepancies in terminology and reporting. The result is clearer buying, stronger accountability, and more comparable performance benchmarking across suppliers. For brands that have favored digital channels due to reporting transparency, this development narrows the gap and creates new opportunities for strategic budget allocation into OOH.

DCW is tracking these evolving standards and incorporating them into our planning process, enabling clients to scale OOH with cleaner reporting, simplified execution, and stronger alignment to omnichannel goals.

Linear TV Automation

Linear television is entering a more automated phase, reshaping how advertisers evaluate and transact within the channel. Major broadcast groups are testing agentic systems that streamline portions of the direct buying process, reducing manual negotiations and static insertion orders.

As these tools expand, activation, pacing adjustments, and delivery management can become more fluid across linear inventory, including premium live sports. This introduces flexibility while maintaining the scale and reach that make broadcast foundational. For brands that have leaned toward digital for speed and optimization, this evolution reduces a key friction point. Over time, it enables more cohesive hybrid buys where linear, streaming, and advanced audiences operate within a unified workflow.

DCW is closely monitoring how these systems develop and what they mean for pricing, access, and reporting. As the ecosystem evolves, we will structure linear buys to capitalize on emerging automation while maintaining disciplined negotiation, premium inventory access, and clear delivery oversight. If you’re looking to keep linear TV competitive within a modern performance framework, particularly around live sports and high-impact reach, DCW can build a strategy aligned with where broadcast buying is headed.