DALLAS & ENGLEWOOD, Colo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--AT&T*, DISH Network L.L.C., a wholly-owned subsidiary of DISH Network Corporation, and WPP have announced plans to acquire INVIDI Technologies, a leader in providing addressable advertising platforms. INVIDI will continue operating independently under the three companies’ collective ownership, and each company will name representatives to INVIDI’s board of directors. AT&T will hold a controlling interest in the venture.
INVIDI’s software lets advertisers deliver addressable video advertising to the target audience — on TV and across multiple distribution platforms. Ads are delivered via INVIDI’s technology to target households that can be matched to thousands of demographic or psychographic attributes, or to a custom list provided by an advertiser. This lets advertisers and media buyers accurately control reach, separation and frequency across video platforms.
In addition to extensive distribution in U.S. households, including platforms operated by AT&T, DISH and others, INVIDI is actively deploying its technology and negotiating distribution agreements in Europe, South America and Asia. AT&T, DISH and WPP will work together, and with other existing INVIDI customers, to continue to expand INVIDI’s addressable capabilities and product offerings to other video delivery platforms and providers to drive the increased deployment of addressable advertising industrywide. INVIDI will also receive a Technical Emmy Award for targeted advertising at the 68th Annual Technical Emmy Awards in January 2017.
“INVIDI gives us a great opportunity to expand our addressable advertising capabilities,” said Rick Welday, President, AT&T AdWorks. “We have significantly increased revenue with targeted advertising across multiple platforms. This deal will help us accelerate growth in our addressable advertising business and explore innovation and expansion into new platforms.”
AT&T AdWorks is a leader in addressable TV advertising, managing ad inventory across national ad-supported cable networks serving live, linear addressable advertising to more than 14 million households nationwide and managing data from more than 35 million set top boxes. AT&T’s annualized advertising revenues were $1.5 billion and growing in the double digits as of the third quarter of 2016. DISH Media Sales introduced addressable advertising in 2012 and has seen substantial interest from advertisers due to the power of addressability. Its portfolio currently serves targeted advertising on approximately 100 networks to more than 8 million households nationwide through both the DISH and Sling TV platforms.
“This is an opportunity to push innovation through the platform and expand the reach of addressable TV advertising, moving the advertising industry forward for brands and consumers,” said Warren Schlichting, DISH executive vice president of Marketing, Programming and Media Sales.
“This is an exciting day for INVIDI, our customers, industry partners, employees and investors,” said Dave Downey, INVIDI’s CEO. “Maintaining our independence and deepening our existing relationships with AT&T, DISH and WPP is a big move for our company and our people. Our ability to increase the value of ad inventory is transforming the way video advertising is purchased and distributed.”
“We were the first strategic investor back in 2007 and are retaining our position so that we can influence the addressable ecosystem for the benefit of our clients,” said Irwin Gotlieb, Chairman, GroupM Global, WPP’s wholly owned media investment management company with billings in excess of $102.5 billion, according to RECMA.
AT&T, DISH and WPP plan to maintain INVIDI’s current operations, including maintaining its employees in their current locations. INVIDI has offices in Princeton, N.J., Newtown, Pa., New York, Denver, Colo. and Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
The transaction is subject to pre-merger review under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Act and other customary conditions. The companies expect to close the deal in the first quarter of 2017. The companies did not disclose financial terms.
*AT&T products and services are provided or offered by subsidiaries and affiliates of AT&T Inc. under the AT&T brand and not by AT&T Inc.
About AT&T
AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) helps millions around the globe connect with leading entertainment, mobile, high speed internet and voice services. We’re the world’s largest provider of pay TV. We have TV customers in the U.S. and 11 Latin American countries. We offer the best global coverage of any U.S. wireless provider.* And we help businesses worldwide serve their customers better with our mobility and highly secure cloud solutions.
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*Global coverage claim based on offering discounted voice and data roaming; LTE roaming; voice roaming; and world-capable smartphone and tablets in more countries than any other U.S. based carrier. International service required. Coverage not available in all areas. Coverage may vary per country and be limited/restricted in some countries.
About DISH
DISH Network Corp. (NASDAQ:DISH), through its subsidiaries, provides approximately 13.643 million pay-TV subscribers, as of Sept. 30, 2016, with the highest-quality programming and technology with the most choices at the best value. DISH offers a high definition line-up with more than 200 national HD channels, the most international channels and award-winning HD and DVR technology. DISH Network Corporation is a Fortune 200 company. Visit www.dish.com.
About WPP
WPP is the world’s largest communications services group with billings of US$73 billion and revenues of US$19 billion. Through its operating companies, the Group provides a comprehensive range of advertising and marketing services including advertising & media investment management; data investment management; public relations & public affairs; branding & identity; healthcare communications; direct, digital, promotion & relationship marketing and specialist communications. The company employs over 200,000 people (including associates and investments) in over 3,000 offices across 113 countries. For more information, visit www.wpp.com.
WPP was named Holding Company of the Year at the 2016 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity for the sixth year running. WPP was also named, for the fifth consecutive year, the World's Most Effective Holding Company in the 2016 Effie Effectiveness Index, which recognizes the effectiveness of marketing communications. In 2016 WPP was recognised by Warc 100 as the World’s Top Holding Company (second year running).
About INVIDI Technologies Corporation
INVIDI Technologies Corporation is the world’s leading advanced addressable television advertising solutions company. Our vision and expertise in building smart advertising systems across multiple platforms provides unrivaled capability for delivering the right advertising message to the right audience at the right time with pinpoint accuracy, and increases advertising inventory value and effectiveness for the cable, satellite, telco, IPTV and advertising industries. INVIDI’s unique, privacy-protected approach to addressable advertising delivery, reporting and measurement is supported by an extensive patent portfolio. Our innovations in content delivery solutions and intellectual property development in targeted demographic media is the foundation for a wide array of advanced advertising capabilities. See the future of advertising at www.invidi.com.
