While last year’s IAB Upfront presenters focused, for the first time, on measurement and targeting, the unofficial theme of this year’s podcasting is platforms. Whether that includes events on stage -- Pandora is a first-time presenter this year -- or gossip off it, podcasting appears to be going in the direction of every other digital media format: Dominated by a handful of platforms, with smaller individual publishers and networks getting creative to fight over what's left. Read more below:

• After years of brand investments and focus on improving measurement, podcasting is about tip into a platform-dominated digital medium.
• Video on Bild is a mix of content produced by Bild journalists and videos that are licensed from production companies. And it's emerged as a top subscription driver for Bild.
• Life is about to get a lot tougher for some ad exchanges. For the first time, advertisers can see whether an ad exchange is sourcing inventory directly from a publisher, thanks to the Internet Advertising Bureau's tool sellers.json.
• From Digiday research: Of the 135 publishers surveyed by Digiday in a wide-ranging research survey this fall, more than 50% of publishers reported that direct-sold advertising was a large or very large source of revenue for them.