LiveOne bets big on connected car streaming as audio ad revenue jumps 30%

LiveOne announced on December 18, 2025, the renewal of its exclusive audio advertising partnership with DAX United States, projecting a 30% year-over-year increase in programmatic audio advertising revenues for 2026. The expanded agreement, which extends a relationship originally established in 2015, now includes what the companies describe as brand new in-car audio opportunities targeting connected vehicle environments where listeners demonstrate heightened attention during daily commutes and travel.

According to Bradley Konkol, Head of Product and Engineering at LiveOne, "We're excited to extend our partnership with DAX. DAX US has been instrumental in helping us maximize advertising opportunities while delivering exceptional value to our music-loving audience. We look forward to building on our shared success and we expect to see considerable growth in the programmatic audio market next year. At LiveOne, we are projecting a 30% YoY increase in programmatic audio ad revenue in 2026."

The renewal arrives at a moment when programmatic audio has demonstrated substantial expansion potential but faces persistent underinvestment relative to consumer engagement. Industry research indicates audio accounts for 31% of consumers' total media time but receives only 9% of advertising budgets, creating a 22% gap that represents untapped potential for marketers willing to allocate resources toward audio channels.

The connected car component represents a strategic expansion into environments where traditional advertising measurement has historically struggled to capture listener behavior. As more vehicles integrate streaming audio capabilities through built-in connectivity systems, automotive environments provide what advertisers increasingly recognize as premium attention moments. Drivers spend significant time engaged with audio content during commutes, often without the distractions present in other listening environments.

Brian Conlan, President of DAX United States, described the strategic rationale behind the expanded partnership. "I'm thrilled to continue our longstanding exclusive partnership with LiveOne, a pioneer in the personalized streaming music space," Conlan stated. "This renewed and expanded collaboration allows us to keep delivering innovative advertising solutions that connect brands with passionate and highly engaged audiences. With LiveOne's huge user base, advertisers can reach target customers who are eager to connect with brands that complement their lifestyle."

DAX operates as a digital advertising platform that connects brands with more than 108 million monthly listeners and 40 million unique listeners through music streaming, radio, podcasts, and mobile gaming, according to the announcement. The platform was created by Global, the Media & Entertainment group described as Europe's largest audio and outdoor company. Global launched DAX in 2014 in the United Kingdom and expanded to the United States in 2017, establishing headquarters in New York City's Penn District.

LiveOne, traded on NASDAQ under the ticker symbol LVO, operates as what the company describes as an award-winning, creator-first music, entertainment, and technology platform. The Los Angeles-based company's subsidiaries include Slacker, PodcastOne (NASDAQ: PODC), PPVOne, CPS, LiveXLive, DayOne Music Publishing, Drumify and Splitmind. The platform maintains availability on iOS, Android, Roku, Apple TV, Spotify, Samsung, Amazon Fire, Android TV, and through STIRR's OTT applications.

The 30% revenue projection for 2026 substantially exceeds broader programmatic audio growth rates observed across the industry. Programmatic audio shifts to curation, identity, and video in 2026 as platforms work to close the persistent investment gap between consumer attention and advertiser allocation. The LiveOne-DAX partnership's performance suggests specific publisher relationships and inventory types may achieve acceleration beyond market averages.

Premium publisher brands available through DAX include Deezer, LiveOne, AccuRadio, Live365, and HitsRadio.com, according to company materials. This publisher portfolio provides advertisers with access to diverse listening environments ranging from on-demand streaming to live radio stations, creating opportunities for varied campaign strategies across different audio formats.

The technical infrastructure supporting programmatic audio has advanced significantly throughout 2025. iHeartMedia and Magnite launched an omnichannel audio advertising marketplace in January 2024, bringing together broadcast radio, streaming radio, and podcast assets for inclusion in omnichannel programmatic media buys. These infrastructure developments enable the unified campaign management and measurement capabilities that advertisers increasingly demand across fragmented audio environments.

Connected vehicle environments present distinct advertising opportunities compared to traditional mobile or home listening scenarios. Automotive listening typically occurs during predictable time blocks corresponding to commute patterns, providing advertisers with scheduling opportunities that align with daily routines. The co-listening experience common in vehicles creates household-level exposure that differs from individual mobile listening through headphones, potentially amplifying brand awareness impact across family units.

The measurement challenges inherent in connected car advertising have historically limited scaled adoption despite the premium attention environment. Traditional attribution models struggle to connect in-vehicle audio exposure to subsequent online or offline behaviors. However, automotive advertisers gain deeper insights into TV ad performance through partnerships like the Effectv-Clarivoy collaboration announced in January 2025, suggesting measurement capabilities for automotive-adjacent advertising continue advancing.

LiveOne's programmatic audio revenue projection occurs within a competitive landscape where major streaming platforms have expanded their programmatic capabilities throughout 2024 and 2025. Spotify launched its Ad Exchange (SAX) in April 2025, enabling real-time bidding for advertising inventory and expanding advertiser access to 251 million Gen Z listeners. The platform reported a 64% increase in programmatic adoption following the launch, demonstrating advertiser interest in automated buying capabilities that reduce operational friction.

DAX's reach of 108 million monthly listeners positions the platform as a significant player within the programmatic audio ecosystem, though substantially smaller than major streaming services like Spotify and Amazon Music. The platform's differentiation appears to center on curated publisher relationships and specific audience segments rather than attempting to compete on total listener scale with dominant streaming platforms.

Programmatic audio adoption has accelerated as platforms introduce self-serve buying capabilities and standardized transaction mechanisms that reduce barriers for smaller advertisers. Triton Digital launched AdBuilder AI in October 2025, a self-serve platform with AI-powered creative generation supporting 60+ languages for publishers seeking to unlock small and mid-sized business advertising budgets previously inaccessible through traditional sales channels.

The audio advertising market faces measurement challenges that contribute to underinvestment relative to consumer attention. Media Mix Models have historically represented audio with a single input—spend—rather than the granular performance metrics available for display and video formats. This measurement gap creates a cycle where limited investment reduces data availability, which in turn makes attribution more difficult.

Amazon DSP integrated SiriusXM Media inventory in September 2025, providing advertisers with programmatic access to 160 million monthly digital listeners through automated buying interfaces. These partnerships demonstrate how major demand-side platforms increasingly recognize programmatic audio as essential inventory types worth integrating into their core offerings rather than treating as specialized add-ons.

The in-car audio expansion reflects broader industry recognition that listening contexts significantly impact advertising effectiveness. Context-specific targeting has emerged as a priority across programmatic audio platforms. Currently representing 60% of all global targeting dimensions on AdsWizz platforms according to industry data, contextual approaches provide relevant and privacy-first solutions that align with evolving consumer expectations around data usage.

LiveOne's 10-year partnership with DAX demonstrates unusual stability within the advertising technology sector, where platform relationships frequently shift as companies optimize inventory access and revenue share agreements. The renewal through 2026 suggests both parties derive sufficient value from the exclusive arrangement to maintain the relationship despite competitive pressures and alternative monetization pathways available to both organizations.

The announcement did not disclose specific financial terms, revenue share structures, or minimum guarantees associated with the renewed partnership. Public companies like LiveOne typically avoid detailed revenue projections in press releases, making the specific 30% growth figure notable as a concrete performance expectation communicated to investors and the market.

For marketing professionals, the LiveOne-DAX renewal signals continued consolidation within programmatic audio supply chains as publishers seek stable monetization partnerships rather than managing multiple overlapping advertising technology relationships. The exclusive nature of the agreement means LiveOne's inventory remains accessible through DAX's demand partners rather than being distributed across competing supply-side platforms.

The connected car focus aligns with automotive industry trends toward integrated entertainment systems and cellular connectivity as standard features across vehicle price points. As automakers transition toward electric vehicles and software-defined architectures, in-car entertainment systems increasingly resemble mobile devices with continuous internet connectivity rather than traditional radio receivers.

StackAdapt integrated iHeartMedia broadcast radio into its programmatic platform in November 2025, enabling unified audio campaign management across AM/FM broadcast, streaming, and podcast inventory within a single platform. These integrations demonstrate how demand-side platforms increasingly seek comprehensive audio inventory access that enables advertisers to construct full-funnel strategies combining multiple audio format advantages.

The programmatic audio landscape has evolved significantly as publishers work to match the efficiency standards established in display and video advertising channels. The Washington Post selected Triton Digital in November 2025 to handle its complete digital audio infrastructure, including podcast hosting, programmatic advertising sales, and audience measurement capabilities, demonstrating how premium publishers now embrace programmatic infrastructure that they historically resisted.

LiveOne operates within a competitive streaming landscape dominated by Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, and YouTube Music, each commanding substantially larger user bases and market share. The company's differentiation appears to focus on creator relationships, niche content verticals, and technology partnerships rather than attempting to compete on catalog breadth or mainstream listener acquisition.

The announcement included forward-looking statements acknowledging various risks and uncertainties including LiveOne's reliance on its largest OEM customer for a substantial percentage of revenue, the company's ability to attract and maintain users and paid members, and management's relationships with industry stakeholders. These disclosures reflect the challenging competitive dynamics facing mid-tier streaming platforms attempting to establish sustainable business models.

DAX's publisher network includes both pure-play streaming services and hybrid platforms that combine traditional broadcast operations with digital distribution. This portfolio approach provides advertisers with access to diverse listener demographics across multiple usage contexts, from background music streaming during work to active radio listening during leisure activities.

The 2026 revenue projection timeline corresponds with broader industry expectations for continued programmatic audio expansion as measurement capabilities improve and advertisers become more sophisticated in audio campaign execution. However, the specific 30% growth target substantially exceeds most industry forecasts, suggesting LiveOne and DAX anticipate either market share gains or pricing improvements beyond what broader market expansion would support.

Industry context suggests programmatic audio remains in relatively early adoption stages compared to mature digital advertising formats. Podcast advertising spending surged 26% year-over-year in the third quarter of 2025 according to industry data, with nearly 1,700 brands testing the channel for the first time, demonstrating continued category expansion beyond established participants.

The in-car advertising opportunity represents a specific inventory type that may command premium pricing due to the captive attention environment and demographic characteristics of vehicle owners. Automotive listening skews toward higher income demographics who own newer vehicles with integrated streaming capabilities, potentially justifying higher CPMs than general mobile or home listening environments.

DAX's technology platform enables what the company describes as brands to connect with audiences at scale across music, radio, podcasts, and mobile games through impactful formats, smart targeting, and award-winning effectiveness tools. This multi-format approach addresses advertiser demands for unified buying access across fragmented audio environments rather than managing separate relationships for each content type.

The partnership renewal positions both LiveOne and DAX to capitalize on what industry observers characterize as an inflection point for programmatic audio advertising. Audio will become a fully omnichannel, identity-powered medium by 2026 according to predictions from Triton Digital's Chief Revenue Officer Sharon Taylor, with streaming, podcasts, and broadcast radio becoming identity-infused and programmatically available through enterprise demand-side platforms.

LiveOne's technology infrastructure includes multiple subsidiary operations spanning content creation, distribution, and monetization. This vertical integration potentially provides advantages in content personalization and advertising relevance that pure-play distribution platforms may struggle to replicate without developing comparable content operations.

The announcement arrived three days after LiveOne disclosed plans to host major shareholders and introduce business-to-business partners at President Trump's Mar-a-Lago residence on December 17, 2025, suggesting the company maintains active investor relations efforts despite its mid-tier market position relative to dominant streaming platforms.

For advertisers evaluating programmatic audio allocations, the LiveOne-DAX partnership demonstrates the continued expansion of available inventory sources beyond the handful of dominant streaming platforms that commanded most programmatic audio investment historically. This inventory diversification enables more precise audience targeting and potentially improves pricing efficiency through increased competition among publishers.

The exclusive partnership structure creates both advantages and limitations for both parties. LiveOne gains dedicated sales support and technology integration from DAX without managing multiple advertising platform relationships. However, the exclusivity potentially limits access to demand sources available through competing supply-side platforms that DAX's technology may not reach.

Global's creation of DAX reflects European media companies' recognition of programmatic audio opportunities and willingness to invest in advertising technology infrastructure that competes with American-dominated advertising platforms. The company's expansion from the UK market in 2014 to the United States in 2017 demonstrates sustained commitment to programmatic audio despite the substantial technology investment and operational complexity required.

The December 18 announcement timing positions both companies to capitalize on 2026 advertising budget planning cycles, where major advertisers typically finalize annual media allocations during the fourth quarter of the preceding year. By communicating growth expectations and expanded inventory types during this planning window, LiveOne and DAX potentially influence advertiser commitments before competitive platforms complete their own product announcements.

Timeline

• 2015: LiveOne and DAX establish original exclusive audio advertising partnership
• 2014: Global creates DAX in the United Kingdom
• 2017: DAX launches in the United States with New York City headquarters
• January 2024: iHeartMedia and Magnite launch omnichannel audio advertising marketplace
• April 2025: Spotify launches programmatic ad exchange (SAX) 
• July 2025: Triton Digital adds AI voice cloning for programmatic podcast ads
• September 2025: Amazon and SiriusXM expand programmatic audio reach through DSP integration
• September 2025: DeepIntent unifies audio and CTV for healthcare advertising
• October 2025: Triton Digital launches white-label audio advertising platform with AI
• November 2025: StackAdapt integrates iHeartMedia broadcast radio into programmatic platform
• November 2025: Washington Post partners with Triton Digital for podcast monetization strategy 
• December 2025: Programmatic audio shifts to curation, identity, and video in 2026
• December 18, 2025: LiveOne and DAX announce partnership renewal with 30% projected YoY programmatic audio revenue increase for 2026

Summary

Who: LiveOne (NASDAQ: LVO), a Los Angeles-based creator-first music, entertainment, and technology platform, and DAX United States, a digital advertising platform owned by Global, the Media & Entertainment group, announced the renewal of their exclusive audio advertising partnership.

What: The companies renewed and expanded their exclusive partnership originally established in 2015, now including in-car audio opportunities targeting connected vehicle environments. LiveOne projects a 30% year-over-year increase in programmatic audio advertising revenues for 2026. DAX provides access to more than 108 million monthly listeners and 40 million unique listeners through music streaming, radio, podcasts, and mobile gaming.

When: The partnership renewal was announced on December 18, 2025, extending the relationship through 2026. The original exclusive contract was signed in 2015, representing a decade-long collaboration between the two companies.

Where: The partnership operates primarily in the United States market, where DAX maintains headquarters in New York City's Penn District. LiveOne operates from Los Angeles and distributes content across multiple platforms including iOS, Android, Roku, Apple TV, Samsung, Amazon Fire, and connected television applications.

Why: The partnership renewal addresses the persistent gap between consumer attention to audio content (31% of media time) and advertiser spending allocation (9% of advertising budgets). The expansion into connected car environments targets premium attention moments during commutes when listeners demonstrate heightened engagement with audio content. Both companies anticipate considerable growth in the programmatic audio market throughout 2026 as measurement capabilities improve and advertisers become more sophisticated in audio campaign execution across fragmented listening environments.