The New Math of Publisher Monetization in the AI Era

In this episode of Web Without Walls, Jason White shares why publishers must start thinking less like legacy media operators and more like marketers. From his time leading ad tech and growth at CBS, OpenX, LiveRamp, and The Arena Group to now founding Mula, Jason unpacks the evolution of ad tech’s biggest shifts from the rise of programmatic and SSPs to today’s AI-driven disruption.

He explains how revenue per session is becoming the critical metric for publishers, why cutting out unnecessary middle layers can increase yield by double digits, and how agentic AI can help publishers retain audiences in an era where search traffic is slipping away. This episode offers clarity on how publishers can survive, adapt, and thrive in an ecosystem where disruption is constant.

Jason White is the CEO of Mula, an agentic OS for publisher monetization focused on using AI to win back lost traffic and revenue. His career spans two decades across some of the most influential companies in digital advertising and publishing.

He has built and scaled businesses from zero to hundreds of millions in revenue, launched and led major ad tech platforms, and advised publishers on strategies for growth, yield, and innovation. Today, through Mula, Jason is focused on helping publishers extend sessions, increase monetization, and navigate the next era of digital disruption.

Vijay Kumar is the Founder and CEO of Mile, where he has spent over a decade helping publishers navigate modern Ad Tech. His work spans pricing strategy, yield optimization, and infrastructure decisions, always focused on giving publishers more clarity and control.

As host of Web Without Walls, Vijay brings real-world experience and thoughtful curiosity to every conversation. He asks the questions publishers care about, challenges assumptions when needed, and creates space for honest, practical industry dialogue.

• "Now the Google search traffic is taking a hit, and publishers now have to exercise a muscle to figure out discovery or sure, they might have been using those muscles in the past, but now it's harder to find discovery opportunities. And now comes the retention."
• “Yeah, I think the one publisher that I've seen successfully do that is MLB because they have the content, they have the gaming groups, and they can create those and have those experiences and they've been able to sell sponsorship and direct it.”