‘This isn’t the old pre-roll world’: YouTube has been talking TV — now it’s selling that way

YouTube has been chasing TV ad budgets for years. What’s changed recently is the approach.

Marketers who’ve sat through recent pitches say the difference is clear. The VIP packages, sold both directly to advertisers and through agencies, are built around spend thresholds. The more an advertiser commits, the more they unlock – credits, price discounts and access to higher tiers of creators. The specifics of those incentives and tiers, however, remain under wraps. 

What stands out though is who YouTube is aiming these deals at. The pitch is landing squarely on TV advertisers – buyers used to making larger commitments in exchange for better access, sharper pricing and a more predictable schedule. Appropriately enough, YouTube has dubbed it the VIP (Video Incentives Program) program.

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Lowe’s wants to do more with AI shopping in 2026

The story was first published by Digiday sibling Modern Retail.

Expect more AI-powered recommendations and personalization from Lowe’s next year as the home improvement retailer continues to hone its e-commerce strategy.

Mylow, a shopping assistant powered by ChatGPT that launched in March, is already driving double the conversion rate for online shoppers compared to those who don’t use it. But looking ahead, Joe Cano, Lowe’s svp of digital commerce, said the company envisions doing more with AI-powered visualization to help people figure out what to buy — for example, what products they need to create a midcentury modern dream kitchen, or what furniture and fixtures would complete their country cottage office.

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