New Media The #1 Monetization Model Publishers and Creators Miss!
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Feb 19, 2026 Gavin Bechtold, Head of enterprise partnerships at Ezoic, helps media operators monetize sites with programmatic ads and first-party data. He explains why sending newsletter readers to your website unlocks ad revenue, how first-party IDs raise RPMs, and when site traffic becomes materially valuable. Practical tactics for driving clicks and monetizing utility pages are discussed in short, actionable bursts.
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Duolingo And Netflix Use Ads Successfully
- Gavin cites Duolingo and Netflix as examples of product businesses that also earn significant ad revenue.
- He notes Duolingo earned about $60M (8%) from ads and Netflix about $1.5B from advertising.
First-Party Data Commands A Premium
- First-party data (emails, phone numbers) is deterministic and commands a premium from advertisers.
- Gavin says identified users produce roughly 2–3x more revenue than non-identified users.
Optimize Ad Density, Don't Avoid Ads
- Control ad density and placement to protect user experience instead of avoiding ads entirely.
- Gavin notes better strategy can reduce ad density and increase revenue simultaneously.