Maybacks Global Entertainment, a subsidiary of Authentic Holdings, Inc., has officially launched the iDreamCTV App in partnership with Whale TV, unlocking access to over 180 million users across smart TVs and digital devices worldwide. With strategic integrations and a robust revenue-sharing model, this collaboration is set to redefine content delivery and monetization for connected TV (CTV) platforms.

Highlights of the iDreamCTV and Whale TV Partnership

• Massive Global Reach via Whale TV Ecosystem

  • The iDreamCTV App is now accessible through Whale TV’s expansive digital network.

  • Distribution spans major CTV/OTT platforms:

    • Roku (48% market share)

    • Amazon Fire TV (28%)

    • Apple TV (8.5%)

    • Android TV via Google Play

  • iDreamCTV will appear as a featured app alongside top names like Netflix, Sky+, and Pluto TV.

• Revenue Generation Through FAST and VAST Integration

  • Maybacks’ FAST channel and VAST tag advertising are now embedded within the app.

  • Enables real-time monetization through ad partnerships with premium global advertisers.

  • Partnership facilitates shared advertising revenue, expanding long-term growth potential.

• Strategic Advantage for iDreamCTV’s Market Positioning

  • Featured visibility on Whale TV-connected devices enhances brand exposure.

  • Reinforces Maybacks’ status as a preferred content provider within a competitive streaming environment.

  • Supports Maybacks’ larger goal to drive scalable monetization for original and licensed content.

• Leadership Commentary and Future Vision

  • Chris Giordano, President of Authentic Holdings, emphasizes the significance of this launch as a catalyst for revenue and user growth.

  • Maureen Cooper, Director of Programming, sees this as a strategic inflection point to increase U.S. market penetration.

  • More strategic partnerships are expected to be announced soon to further expand the iDreamCTV ecosystem.

The launch of the iDreamCTV App through Whale TV's vast global ecosystem marks a major milestone for Maybacks Global Entertainment and its parent company, Authentic Holdings. By combining wide-scale distribution with an integrated ad monetization strategy, this partnership strengthens iDreamCTV’s position in the evolving digital media landscape and sets the stage for significant revenue and viewer growth. Investors and stakeholders can anticipate further announcements as Maybacks enters a high-growth phase.

Retail media continues to be one of the most rapidly expanding sectors in digital advertising. However, despite its growth potential, advertisers face significant hurdles when navigating the fragmented and complex buying landscape. Koddi, a leading player in retail and commerce media technology, has released its “State of Programmatic Retail Media” report, offering critical insights from senior media buyers at top brands and agencies across the U.S. The findings highlight a growing demand for Demand-Side Platform (DSP) access to simplify processes and encourage greater investment in retail media.

Findings and Implications from Koddi’s 2025 Report

1. Complexity in Buying Is a Barrier to Growth

• 61% of respondents agree that “buying retail media can be painful.”

• Fragmentation and the need to engage with multiple retail media networks create inefficiencies.

• The lack of a unified platform limits scalability and discourages larger media buys.

2. DSP Access as a Game-Changer

• 93% of advertisers say they’d shift more non-retail media budgets into retail media if DSP access were available.

• 96% of brands and agencies plan to buy or consider buying on-site retail media through a DSP.

• DSPs provide the seamless integration brands and agencies are used to when buying across other digital channels.

3. Demand for Consolidation

• 79% of media buyers believe brands will need to consolidate retail media partners in the near future.

• Consolidation can improve operational efficiency and ease media planning.

• DSPs offer a singular point of access, which aligns with agency infrastructure.

4. Operational Efficiency and Cost Savings Drive Demand

• 80% of respondents cited ease and efficiency as top reasons to shift budget to DSP-enabled retailers.

• Programmatic access enables unified buying, analytics, and reporting—lowering costs and reducing time-to-campaign.

5. A Call for Interoperability, Not Commoditization

• While streamlined access is a priority, brands don’t want to lose the premium value of retail media.

• The goal is not to commoditize inventory but to allow brands to activate and measure campaigns alongside broader media efforts.

• By offering DSP access, retailers can retain control while still attracting deeper advertiser investment.

Koddi’s report sends a clear message to the retail media ecosystem: the future lies in simplification, interoperability, and unified access. As more brands and agencies seek operational efficiency, the call for DSP integration is growing louder. Retailers that embrace DSP access won’t just meet demand—they’ll unlock incremental revenue and cement their position in the evolving ad tech landscape. Koddi, through its comprehensive platform, is enabling this transformation, empowering retailers to provide both control and accessibility in a rapidly shifting media environment.

Lucidya, the AI-powered, unified customer experience management (CXM) platform, has made significant strides in enhancing its leadership team. As part of the company's rapid expansion into new markets, CEO and founder Abdullah Asiri recently introduced several key appointments to strengthen its executive leadership. These strategic hires include experts in finance, marketing, engineering, people and culture, and business development, each bringing invaluable global experience to help scale Lucidya’s operations and accelerate growth.

Executive Appointments at Lucidya

1. Sisir Das as Chief Financial Officer (CFO)

• Background: Sisir joins Lucidya with a distinguished background in finance. He has held prominent roles at top firms such as Bank of America, Capgemini, and Sprinklr. His expertise spans finance operations, strategy & FP&A, and business transformation.

• Role at Lucidya: As CFO, Sisir will oversee the company's financial strategy, ensuring robust growth through strategic cost optimization and P&L management. His experience in IPO readiness will be invaluable as Lucidya positions itself for future public listing.

2. Yara Milbes as Vice President of Marketing

• Background: Yara Milbes brings over 20 years of marketing expertise. Her previous leadership roles include serving as the Global VP of Marketing at CEQUENS and Global Marketing Director at Infobip.

• Role at Lucidya: Yara will lead the marketing strategy, with a focus on expanding Lucidya’s brand presence globally. Her experience with international markets will play a critical role in scaling Lucidya’s operations.

3. Anand Saurabh as Vice President of Engineering

• Background: Anand Saurabh has an impressive background in product engineering, having previously served as VP of Product Engineering at Sprinklr, contributing to the company’s growth to a $3.5 billion IPO. He also held senior roles at Infosys and Deloitte.

• Role at Lucidya: Anand will drive Lucidya's engineering and product development, focusing on innovation to further enhance the AI-powered CXM platform and its capabilities.

4. Hisham Mosmar as Director of People and Culture

• Background: Hisham Mosmar brings extensive experience in building high-performance cultures, previously serving as Director of People at Careem, Kavak, and Al-Futtaim.

• Role at Lucidya: Hisham will develop Lucidya’s talent strategy, ensuring the company attracts and retains top-tier talent as it continues to grow rapidly in new markets.

5. Ziyad Binsulaiman as Director of Business Development

• Background: Ziyad Binsulaiman has an established background in business development, previously serving as Commercial Director at Marn, a fintech company under Jahez International.

• Role at Lucidya: Ziyad will spearhead business development initiatives, building strategic partnerships to fuel Lucidya’s market expansion.

Lucidya’s new leadership team is a clear signal of the company’s commitment to accelerating its growth and global expansion. With the addition of top-tier talent from multinational organizations, Lucidya is well-positioned to scale faster and gain a competitive edge in the AI-driven CXM space. Each new executive brings a wealth of knowledge and experience that will be pivotal in shaping the company’s future success, from optimizing financial operations to driving product innovation and expanding global brand presence.

In a significant move to redefine global connectivity, 6WIND, a leading provider of high-performance virtualized networking software, and Orange, one of the world's top telecom operators and digital service providers, have announced the strengthening of their partnership. This collaboration focuses on providing advanced cloud services, specifically secure cloud connections and cloud-based firewall solutions, aimed at benefiting Orange’s business and wholesale customers worldwide. With a shared commitment to sustainability, performance, and flexibility, the partnership signals a pivotal moment in Orange’s journey toward software-defined networking and the cloud.

Developments in the Partnership

1. Transition to a Fully Software-Defined Network

• Focus on Virtualization: As part of Orange's New Generation International Network program, the company continues its transformation toward a software-defined, flexible, and efficient network. The selection of 6WIND’s Virtual Services Router (VSR) suite, including Virtual Security Gateway (vSecGW) and Virtual Firewall (vFW), replaces legacy hardware-based networks with agile, software-based solutions.

• Software-Defined Network Benefits: This move helps Orange improve network flexibility, scalability, and sustainability, aligning with the company’s strategic goals of energy efficiency and rapid service deployment.

2. Optimizing Cloud Connectivity and Security

• Strategic SDN Points of Presence (PoPs): 6WIND’s VSR suite integrates seamlessly into Orange’s Telco Cloud Points of Presence (SDN PoPs), which are strategically placed within 10 milliseconds of customers and 5 milliseconds of major cloud service providers globally.

• Enhanced Security and Service Delivery: By leveraging 6WIND's advanced security features, including secure cloud access and firewall protection, Orange aims to provide its customers with the highest levels of cloud security and connectivity, ensuring reliable and sustainable services.

3. Energy Efficiency and Cost Savings

• CapEx and OpEx Reductions: The implementation of 6WIND’s VSR suite brings immediate savings in both Capital Expenditures (CapEx) and Operational Expenditures (OpEx), thanks to the virtualized nature of the services. This leads to better cost control and resource optimization.

• Energy-Efficient Cloud Infrastructure: As businesses and service providers prioritize sustainability, the partnership enables Orange to offer one of the most energy-efficient cloud networking architectures on the market, supporting both enterprise and wholesale customers.

4. A Sustainable Approach to Networking

• Commitment to Sustainability: Both 6WIND and Orange share a focus on sustainability, with their collaboration leading to an architecture that not only reduces carbon footprint but also speeds up time-to-service for enterprises. By embedding automation at scale, they aim to improve operational efficiency while advancing green networking technologies.

This strengthened collaboration between 6WIND and Orange marks a pivotal step in the evolution of software-defined networking and cloud services. By replacing legacy hardware with agile, virtualized solutions, both companies are poised to offer highly secure, flexible, and energy-efficient cloud networking services to enterprises and service providers globally. This partnership not only accelerates Orange’s digital transformation but also sets a new standard for next-generation cloud connectivity—one that prioritizes sustainability, performance, and cost efficiency. As the global demand for cloud services grows, this partnership positions both 6WIND and Orange to lead the charge in redefining global networking infrastructure.

This year, Pipedrive, a leading CRM solution for small businesses, is stepping into the dynamic environment of the OMR Festival in Hamburg, Germany. The event, a prominent gathering for digital marketers, tech innovators, and business leaders, offers invaluable opportunities for smaller teams to showcase their expertise and learn from industry giants. Gabriel Fugli, Sr. Channel Sales Manager DACH at Pipedrive, shares his insights on how small businesses can maximize their experience at such major events. Despite the scale of these events, there’s plenty of room for small businesses to thrive, provided they come prepared with the right strategy.

Five Tips to Help You Make the Most of Major Industry Events

1. Define What Success Looks Like for Your Business

• Set Clear Goals: Before attending, decide what you want to achieve. Whether it’s finding new CRM solutions, networking with potential partners, or gathering inspiration for your next campaign, defining your goals will help you stay focused amidst the hustle and bustle. Treat your objectives like OKRs and KPIs for the event, so you can measure your success effectively.

2. Plan Your Must-Sees, But Stay Open to Surprises

• Scan the Agenda: Review the event agenda and booth list ahead of time to identify key speakers or companies you want to check out. However, leave room for flexibility. Many valuable opportunities come from spontaneous discoveries or unplanned conversations that can lead to unexpected partnerships or ideas.

3. Perfect Your Elevator Pitch

• Engage Quickly: Whether you're talking to a speaker, booth representative, or fellow attendee, having a concise and engaging elevator pitch is crucial. Make sure your introduction is clear, relatable, and easy to understand. This will help others remember you and your business long after the event.

4. Build Real Connections, Not Just LinkedIn Contacts

• Quality Over Quantity: Don’t just collect business cards or LinkedIn connections. Focus on building meaningful, genuine relationships. Ask insightful questions that go beyond surface-level conversations. The goal is to create memorable interactions—it's often more valuable to have a few strong connections than a pile of forgettable ones.

5. Follow Up While It’s Fresh

• Quick and Personal Outreach: After the event, take a moment to follow up with people you connected with. Send a personalized message referencing your conversation, and keep the connection alive. The quicker you follow up, the better your chances of establishing a long-term relationship.

Major industry events like the OMR Festival provide exceptional opportunities for small businesses to grow, learn, and connect. By walking in with a clear purpose and an open mind, businesses can make the most of these high-energy gatherings. The insights, tools, and partnerships gained can significantly impact growth and strategic planning. As Pipedrive emphasizes, if small businesses approach these events with curiosity and clarity, the returns can be outsized, setting them up for long-term success.

Postmedia Network Inc. is excited to announce a strategic collaboration with the Investigative Journalism Bureau (IJB), emphasizing its unwavering commitment to high-caliber journalism and the importance of investigative reporting in shaping Canada's democracy. This partnership aims to support the production of investigative and long-form journalism, while nurturing the future of journalism through mentorship and training. The IJB, based at the University of Toronto’s Dalla Lana School of Public Health, is renowned for producing award-winning, impactful stories that spark public awareness and policy changes.

Highlights of the Collaboration

1. Strengthening Investigative Journalism

• Postmedia’s Commitment: The collaboration signals Postmedia’s dedication to supporting independent, investigative journalism, a cornerstone of democracy. By partnering with the IJB, Postmedia ensures that high-impact journalism continues to thrive across Canada’s media landscape.

2. Supporting the Next Generation of Journalists

• Training and Mentorship: As part of this partnership, Postmedia will support the training of emerging journalists. A rotating seat will be created at the IJB for Postmedia’s journalists, providing them with hands-on experience in investigative reporting and helping to cultivate the next generation of investigative reporters.

3. Expanding Reach and Impact

• Nationwide Distribution: Through Postmedia’s network of publications, stories produced by the IJB will reach a broader audience across Canada. This partnership allows for the amplification of meaningful, in-depth journalism that holds power accountable and drives important conversations nationwide.

4. Enhancing Public Awareness and Policy Change

• Impactful Journalism: The IJB has a history of producing journalism that not only informs but also sparks change. Notable works like "The Patient Files: Hidden Stories from Inside Ontario’s Hospitals" and "Suspended" have gained international acclaim and demonstrated the power of investigative journalism in shaping public discourse and influencing policy changes.

The partnership between Postmedia and the Investigative Journalism Bureau (IJB) represents a significant step forward in strengthening the role of investigative journalism within Canada’s media landscape. By supporting impactful reporting and fostering the next generation of journalists, Postmedia reaffirms its commitment to maintaining a free, independent press that can effectively serve and engage communities. This collaboration will not only elevate Canadian journalism but will also ensure that pressing societal issues receive the in-depth attention they deserve.

WEBTOON Entertainment Inc., the leading global platform for webcomics, has unveiled a suite of exciting updates aimed at enhancing webcomic discovery and personalizing recommendations across its global platforms, including its English-language service. These product innovations are designed to make it easier for users to discover new webcomics, improve personalization, and provide a more immersive, streaming-like browsing experience. The new features aim to keep readers engaged and ensure they find their next favorite story faster than ever.

Features of WEBTOON's Latest Updates

1. AI-Powered Personalized Recommendations

• Smarter Discovery: WEBTOON has overhauled its content discovery engine with AI-powered personalized recommendations. The engine uses insights from user onboarding, reading history, and preferred drawing styles to suggest comics tailored to individual tastes.

• Improved Onboarding: During the onboarding process, users will select their favorite genres and themes, ensuring that recommendations are stronger and more relevant across the platform.

2. Dynamic Video Content Previews

• Trailer-Style Previews: WEBTOON introduces a ‘New and Hot’ tab that features dynamic, trailer-style video previews of new releases and trending titles. This update makes the webcomic discovery process feel more like browsing a streaming service, providing an immersive look at popular and fresh content.

• Engaging Visuals: These video previews allow users to get a quick and engaging glimpse of what’s new and exciting, enhancing the browsing experience.

3. Enhanced Keyword-Based Search

• Better Search Functionality: WEBTOON has upgraded its search engine to allow users to find webcomics based on keywords, themes, and genres, not just exact title matches. This feature supports deeper discovery within WEBTOON’s vast library of webcomics, making it easier for fans to explore series and creators across various categories.

4. Unlock Entire Series for Binge-Worthy Experience

• Complete Series Access: In response to user demand for easier access to long-form content, WEBTOON now allows readers to unlock entire series, making it simpler to binge-read their favorite webcomics without interruptions.

With these updates, WEBTOON continues to innovate and enhance the user experience, making it easier and more enjoyable for webcomic fans to discover new stories, interact with their favorite creators, and immerse themselves in dynamic content. The AI-powered recommendations, video previews, and enhanced search functionality are game-changers for personalized content discovery, positioning WEBTOON at the forefront of the digital entertainment industry. Whether you’re a longtime fan or a new user, these features are set to revolutionize how readers engage with webcomics.

Algolia has introduced Smart Groups, a groundbreaking AI-powered feature designed to streamline how products and items are displayed across search results and category pages. This intuitive tool empowers merchandisers and content managers to combine manual curation with AI-driven ranking, eliminating the need for developer resources or time-consuming manual adjustments. Smart Groups helps solve the challenges of managing large catalogs and enables businesses to enhance visibility, increase sales, and achieve smarter presentation of results across industries like retail, travel, media, and SaaS.

Features of Algolia's Smart Groups

1. Simplified Catalog Management

• AI-Powered Ranking: Smart Groups combines manual curation with Algolia’s AI Ranking system, ensuring that products are displayed in optimal order based on relevance and business goals. This simplifies large catalog management by automating the ranking and presentation of items based on predefined criteria.

• No Developer Help Needed: Merchandisers can set up Smart Groups using an intuitive dashboard with no need for technical skills, reducing dependence on developers for item pinning or adjustments.

2. Dynamic Result Matching and Automation

• Personalized Results: Merchandisers can define result attributes such as brand, color, or inventory status and specify how many items should appear in a selected position. For instance, when a shopper searches for "shoes," the system can automatically display items matching specific brands or colors.

• Real-Time Automation: Items that no longer meet criteria (like going out of stock) are automatically replaced by qualifying items in real-time, ensuring that product grids are always fresh and relevant.

3. Scalability and Flexibility Across Industries

• Sponsored and Promotional Content: Smart Groups allows businesses to highlight sponsored products, promotions, or new releases in strategic positions to drive sales and visibility.

• Visual Merchandising: Merchandisers can create aesthetic layouts by grouping products with shared attributes such as color or theme (e.g., seasonal items or category-specific groupings).

• Content Programming: Content teams can prioritize and dynamically feature articles or shows based on business objectives, all without engineering support. For example, content managers can highlight new releases, trending shows, or sponsored content using real-time insights.

4. Unlocking New Revenue Streams with Retail Media

• Monetized Merchandising: Smart Groups empowers retailers to monetize prime positions within product grids. By strategically placing products for brand visibility and leveraging retail media opportunities, companies can generate new revenue streams.

• Strategic Brand Placement: With Smart Groups, retailers can ensure that competing products do not appear together, creating better brand visibility and aligning with brand agreements, particularly in industries like Retail Media, which is projected to grow significantly by 2028.

Algolia’s Smart Groups feature revolutionizes the way businesses manage large catalogs and present their products across search results and category pages. By combining AI-powered automation with manual curation, Smart Groups allows businesses to save time, increase scalability, and enhance the user experience. Whether for retail, SaaS, or media industries, the Smart Groups tool provides businesses with advanced flexibility in driving visibility, personalizing content, and unlocking new revenue opportunities. In the fast-evolving world of digital commerce, Smart Groups is set to become an essential tool for companies looking to stay ahead of the competition.