AI Overviews is gutting the news industry. Google’s paperboy is now the publishers, and creators are paying the price.
On Scotch and Watch on Friday night,
and I were joined by one of the sharpest voices in the business with fresh data on the damage.As CEO of Digital Content Next - the most powerful publisher lobby in Washington -
speaks for The Financial Times, The New York Times, Bloomberg, Slate, News Corp, TelevisaUnivision and more, a group that touches 95 per cent of the US consumers.We’ve known each other for a decade, and this week he revealed numbers that will scare every media boardroom: member traffic has plunged 10 per cent in just weeks.
“The worst weeks were brutal. News brands plunged 16 per cent, non-news fell 17 per cent.
“These aren’t random fluctuations. They are sustained losses hitting both breaking news publishers and evergreen entertainment brands.
“And let’s not forget that this is the exact content Google’s AI is trained on and now replaces with its own summaries.
“The company that long draped itself in the flag of the open web is now trampling it, trading the public square for a walled garden built on monopoly profits.”
Speaking openly, he talk about:
Whether the thinks a Google zero future for publishers is likely.
How his publishers still rely on ads for 78 per cent of their earnings.
The questionable prioritisation of unpoliced sources like Reddit.
Google’s gaslighting claims that AI search leads to more clicks.
How Alphabet is syphoning ads from the open web for its own brands, and
Why the imminent antitrust break-up of its search monopoly is vital.
But first a bit of housekeeping, starting with a word from our sponsor Clever Ads.
AI search is hitting publishers hard. Revenue strategies are shifting fast - towards commercial content, video, newsletters, sponsorships, and contextual takeovers - while performance budgets (CPC/CPA) remain but are tighter and more selective.
That’s where CleverAds steps in. We help publishers plug these gaps with off-network strategies that drive real, measurable growth. Our solutions are built to power the channels that matter most.
And come say hi in person if you’re at ONA 25 in New Orleans next month where I will be opening up with Canva on the main stage with a good news war story. I’ll be there from September 10 to 13. Come find me and let’s have a beer :)
Enjoy the pod and remember to download the Substack app on your phone if you want to tune in live and ask questions of us and our guests.
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