News Corp’s play for the future of advertising: precision, personalisation and intent-based targeting

News Corp is making a major strategic push in hyper targeted digital advertising, unveiling two significant initiatives at its annual D_Coded event: an exclusive partnership with Tubi and a suite of AI-powered enhancements to its first-party data platform Intent Connect.

The moves mark a shift in how News’ positions itself against other publishers and, in particular, algorithmic-driven platforms, by combining connected TV with first-party data to deliver highly targeted, measurable ad solutions.

Driving this new strategy is an exclusive sales partnership with Tubi, a free, ad-supported streamer with some 97 million monthly active users globally and 1.3 million locally.

Michael Miller, executive chairman of News Corp, described Tubi as the missing piece in the company’s video strategy, saying the streamer unlocks new commercial opportunities for News Corp. The partnership is also hoping to attract advertisers keen to reach a younger demographic. More than half of Tubi’s audience is Gen Z and millennials, a critical segment for brands that traditionally invest in broadcast TV but are shifting towards digital-first strategies.

Beyond its audience appeal, Tubi offers an uncluttered ad environment, with only three to six minutes of ads per hour, less than the six to eight minutes seen on traditional broadcast services. This reduced ad load increases viewer engagement, a key selling point to maximise impact.

AI-powered audience building

News Corp also unveiled major enhancements to Intent Connect, its audience intelligence platform, designed to help brands reach high-intent consumers. The improvements introduce AI-powered audience building, machine learning-driven recommendations and a real-time campaign performance dashboard.

Lou Barrett, managing director of client partnerships at News Corp, said the enhanced tools take the guesswork out of planning, booking and measuring a campaign, ensuring brands get the right message to the right audience at the right time.

"We're not talking about hours of passive scrolling on platforms like Instagram and Tiktok," Barrett said. “We're talking about active engagement driven by genuine interest, not driven by algorithms and this is how we understand customers better. Genuine engagement is the only metric that matters.” 

More than 10 new features will be added to Intent Connect throughout 2025, with four key tools unveiled at D_Coded.

Among them, the (C)AI Segment Builder uses AI to help advertisers define and reach their ideal audience by leveraging News Corp’s first-party data. The Recommendation Engine enhances campaign reach by identifying and suggesting additional audience insights based on user behaviour and intent.

Other upgrades include Content Connect, which now integrates first-party data and strategic partner insights to deliver deeper audience understanding, and the Campaign and Attribution Summary, which provides real-time performance analysis, tracking brand uplift, in-store visits, and actual sales.

Together, these AI-powered tools ensure advertisers can reach the right consumers across News Corp’s digital ecosystem.

Dean La Rosa, general manager of commercial data at News, said: “We are constantly developing and evolving the most compelling and privacy compliant data proposition in the market, ensuring brands can leverage high quality data signals with confidence. Our commitment to transparency and compliance means that when brands engage with us, they gain access to deeper audience insights than ever before - driving real world impact and lasting business value.”