How will adtech turn the page for the news industry in 2025?

But the industry shouldn’t be writing its obituary just yet. Recent research from Outbrain and The Rebooting has shown that 83% of publishers are confident about their future.

Extra, extra confidence ahead

Despite some of the doom and gloom surrounding their industry, 64% of news publishers say their news operation is profitable – and 80% even expect profits to rise next year, according to the report. Why the optimism?

For a start, they know the true value of their audience. Four in five advertisers, agencies and publishers believe these open internet audiences are a high value target, thanks to their affluence, education levels, and purchasing power. And ads on traditional news sites capture more attention and drive better results than advertising purely on social media platforms, including a 77% boost in brand performance. That’s good news for the 50% of publishers who told the Outbrain and The Rebooting research that advertising accounts for 50% of their business income.

Meanwhile, advertisers’ attitudes are changing around brand safety on news sites. They’re realizing that keyword blocking is a blunt tool which can steer them away from quality news inventory, and that a more holistic approach to assessing quality ad space is better. But their actions still need to catch up with their intention: 74% say they’re adopting different brand safety approaches, to support quality journalism, but only 22% say they’re actively taking steps to fund credible news media.

Adtech solutions helping to turn the page

Despite the challenges faced by the industry, publishers are finding new ways to maintain or boost their bottom line by diversifying their revenue streams.

Katie Secret, executive vice president of global marketing at Outbrain, said: “Advertising keeps 50% of news businesses going. But our research shows that 35% of those organizations describe their business as ‘challenged’. And so many editorial organizations are exploring new technology so they can better value their potential for advertisers. By adapting to shifting demands and embracing new approaches, we believe news publishers can build a foundation that not only drives sustainable growth but also deepens their connection with audiences and advertisers alike.”

So what are the adtech scoops that are set to help publishers meet their challenges head on next year?

1. Publishing on the up with vertical video

In the Outbrain and The Rebooting research, nearly a third of respondents said that meeting advertiser expectations was one of their key challenges. That’s why some news publishers have started to adapt their advertising content to capture interest from younger generations used to the interactive, attention-grabbing formats found on social media platforms. And they’re doing that by using ad solutions that transform real estate on static articles into engaging vertical video experiences. These vertical video ad formats mean that media owners keep audiences engaged on their sites for longer. So advertisers grab more eyeballs, publishers grow their business and readers are served up familiar interactions such as swipes and likes in trusted, professional environments.

For example, Moments by Outbrain, described as a “bridge between the trusted content consumers love, and the brands they trust” has been shown to drive 56% higher brand recall than standard digital ads.

2. Standing to attention (metrics)

Publishers and advertisers are wising up to the limitations of measuring ad campaigns against cost, reach and efficiency metrics, which can allow lesser-quality audiences to infiltrate ad buys. The new gold standard is attention. The industry is slowly starting to see that attention metrics make for richer insights – like how long consumers spend with content, how they engage with ads, and how this translates into brand awareness and purchase consideration. And that’s allowing brands to tap into high-value audience moments on reputable media outlets on the open internet - let’s not forget that attention on news sites is 45% higher than that on most social media platforms.

With attention metrics driving better outcomes such as increased brand lift and foot traffic, expect successful brands to use them even more in 2025.

3. Adding the personal touch

In today’s privacy-first landscape, advertisers face a delicate balancing act: delivering meaningful personalization while respecting data regulations and consumer trust. The key to cracking this conundrum is AI-powered contextual filtering. These tools assess the sentiment of a page, allowing advertisers to engage consumers when they’re in the ‘right’ mindset or moment while also providing more accurate brand safety assurance.

Adtech platforms with direct publisher relationships are leveraging the power of machine learning to dive even deeper into advanced contextual signals. By predicting outcomes and decoding audience behaviors, they connect marketers with consumers in the moments that matter most leading to greater efficiencies at scale.

So, as we turn the page to 2025, adtech is emerging as the plot twist that could save the news publishing industry. By unlocking smarter monetization strategies, leveraging AI-driven audience insights, and fostering deeper connections between advertisers and readers, these emerging tech innovations are rewriting the narrative for the industry.

For more insights into unlocking advertising success in 2025, visit Outbrain.