The Media Leader

News analysis, opinion and insight for media and advertising professionals

Publishers need to stop selling audiences and start creating experiences

Trusted human curation matters. AI can aggregate recommendations, but it cannot eat the burger or sit in the theatre, writes Time Out Media’s CEO.

What will the UK commercial television landscape look like in 12 months?

Is the planned split and the sale of the ITV broadcast and streaming business inevitable and a good thing? Ray Snoddy looks at the details.

DCM upfront: Cinema, TV, sport and news carry majority of culturally resonant content, study claims

A study conducted by consultancy MTM found that the commercially available cultural moments people most recalled from the last 12 months are dominated by TV, cinema and sport.

Was Cannes Lions 2026 a tipping point? Trusted and quality are back on the agenda

In a bid to gauge the temperature around news investment at Cannes, World Media Group’s CEO swerved publisher sessions and went in search of other places where the value of news was being discussed.

Get me the referee’s phone number

FIFA’s inability to consistently apply its own rules has got Justin Sampson thinking about who measurement should answer to.

The Media Leader

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Opinion

Ian Tournes

Publisher newsletters are engaging, curated, trusted and opinionated. So why is the channel so often overlooked?

Tom Ridges

Football fans remind us that brand growth comes from earning trust within smaller, connected groups where recommendations carry weight and behaviour is visible.

Charli West

As part of Audiotrack’s 10 year anniversary, we asked the audio industry for their favourite audio ads from the last decade.

Data Snapshot

Data-led charts from across the UK media landscape

Find out more about the UK's most comprehensive aggregator of media data.

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26 May 2026

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The Future of Media Manchester 2026 is the region's premier event bringing together media planners, strategists, and buyers to explore the biggest challenges and opportunities shaping the commercial media landscape. Hosted by The Media Leader, the event features expert speakers, thought-provoking debates and research-led sessions designed to spark honest conversations about where the industry is heading. Taking place at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester on 17 September, the event will bring together 600+ industry professionals and 40+ speakers for a full day of insight, discussion and networking. Attendees can expect sharp debates, fresh perspectives and valuable connections with senior leaders across the media ecosystem — making it a must-attend for anyone looking to stay ahead of the industry’s next chapter.
17 September 2026

News analysis, opinion and insight for media and advertising professionals

Publishers need to stop selling audiences and start creating experiences

Trusted human curation matters. AI can aggregate recommendations, but it cannot eat the burger or sit in the theatre, writes Time Out Media’s CEO.

What will the UK commercial television landscape look like in 12 months?

Is the planned split and the sale of the ITV broadcast and streaming business inevitable and a good thing? Ray Snoddy looks at the details.

DCM upfront: Cinema, TV, sport and news carry majority of culturally resonant content, study claims

A study conducted by consultancy MTM found that the commercially available cultural moments people most recalled from the last 12 months are dominated by TV, cinema and sport.

Was Cannes Lions 2026 a tipping point? Trusted and quality are back on the agenda

In a bid to gauge the temperature around news investment at Cannes, World Media Group’s CEO swerved publisher sessions and went in search of other places where the value of news was being discussed.

Get me the referee’s phone number

FIFA’s inability to consistently apply its own rules has got Justin Sampson thinking about who measurement should answer to.

The Media Leader

Opinion

Why publisher newsletters are the next big advertising platform

The Mexican wave effect: Brands must harness social proof from small communities

The audio industry’s favourite audio ads

Industry News

Audiotrack at 10: Audio is becoming the soundtrack to everyone’s life

Publisher case study: Changing what people think about frozen food

Atria six months on: New formats, attention measurement, a ‘broad mix’ of clients and potential for expansion

Publisher case study: Making the Galaxy S25 part of the AI conversation

Advertising Association names Waitrose CCO next president

Why TV should play the performance game

Netflix embraces publishers in ‘fit for TV’ push

What publishers can learn from NYT’s ‘solar system’ model – with global ads VP Tom Armstrong

Data Analysis

Mapping the UK agency landscape

The industry is calling it cross-media. It’s not

Campaign ROI is maximised when audio gets 25% of spend, finds Radiocentre report

Tech firms must enforce tougher age checks for social media platforms, regulator says

Data Snapshot

The ad-vantages of streaming

World Cup Wonders

Our next event

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The Future of Media Manchester 2026