AOL is beefing up its ad tech capabilities further with the acquisition of video ad network and exchange operator Adap.tv. The move follows AOL’s recent attempts to reposition itself in the market at as a leading ad tech provider and a challenger to Google’s “stack” of ad buying and selling technologies.
According to the company’s earnings, which it also released today, third-party network revenue was one of the fastest growing areas of AOL’s business last year. Overall ad revenue rose 6.9 percent, but network revenue growth outpaced it at 8.9 percent. AOL hopes the addition of Adap.tv will add to that growth.
AOL has doubled down on ad tech in the past few months. It hired former Razorfish CEO Bob Lord to head up its Networks division, which houses its ad tech assets, in July.
CEO Tim Armstrong also told reporters a couple of weeks ago that the company has been investing heavily in its technology products, and that acquisitions were likely. He also said the company plans to start selling access to its programmatic buying tools in something akin to an TV upfront.
It remains to be seen if marketers will ever buy services from it in that manner, but it’s clear that AOL now wants to be seen as a major ad technology contender. It’s an area in which it’s historically failed to impress despite some high profile acquisitions.
More to follow.
-
Marketers weigh the cons of working with Google Ad Manager amid Justice Department’s new lawsuit
When is it time to back away?
-
Atlas Obscura wants to be profitable before raising funds in a tricky media market
Atlas Obscura wants to turn a profit this year before it raises another funding round, at a time when publishers are facing lower valuations and pickier investors as deal activity slows.
-
Publishers report Q1 ad revenue is pacing 10-25% behind forecasts
Publishers are facing a slow start to Q1 and sales teams have a lot of work to do to regain lost time.
-
SponsoredHow ad tech is tackling waste by optimizing supply chains
Sponsored by Bidtellect The programmatic and digital advertising industry is well aware of the inefficiencies in buying and selling — from auction duplication and volume bias to multi-integrations and reselling. For many, these challenges can appear to be out of control, leaving programmatic teams asking the question, “how can we fix it?” A redundant, multiple-step process […]
-
WTF is cookie stuffing?
Fraud is a well-documented pox on digital advertising, but it’s also an issue for publishers and marketers working together on affiliate marketing deals, too. One of the more tried-and-true techniques is cookie stuffing.
-
Why Vice, BBC, WaPo, others see new TikTok teams as the next wave of specialist publishing talent
As news publishers craft their TikTok strategies, Digiday spoke with the BBC, Vice, The Washington Post and LADbible to see who’s really behind the posts.
