The Fold The deals that defined the year in local media – plus predictions for 2026
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Nov 24, 2025 Join Rachel Bayfield, Chief Technology & Innovation Officer at PHD; James Davidson, Chief Strategy and Planning Officer at PHD; and Helen Brown, Chief Investment Officer at PHD, as they dive into the trends shaping local media. They dissect pivotal deals like Trade Me's stake in Stuff and Sky's acquisition of Three, the rise of clean-room technology, and the evolving creator economy. With compelling predictions for 2026, they also tackle the challenges of TV fragmentation and the potential risks of AI on trust in advertising.
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Trade Me–Stuff Data Potential
- Trade Me's stake in Stuff promises powerful combined first-party data if integrated properly.
- Rachel Bayfield warns integration is complex and value may take years to realise due to privacy and separate logins.
Stronger Local Video Competition
- Sky's acquisition of Three strengthens local video competition and complements Sky's sports strength.
- Helen Brown says networks must broaden digitally as audiences fragment across many platforms.
Clean Rooms Level Local Publishers
- Clean room technology became mainstream among NZ publishers in 2025.
- Rachel Bayfield says clean rooms level the playing field versus Google and Meta by enabling cross-publisher first-party audience use.