Cadent expands YouTube capabilities with acquisition of VuePlanner

Cadent is deepening its presence in YouTube advertising with the acquisition of VuePlanner, a company specializing in contextual targeting, optimization, and measurement for the platform. The deal strengthens Cadent’s push toward a unified “total video” advertising ecosystem spanning linear TV, CTV, and digital video — including the world’s largest video platform.

Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.

The companies began discussions in April, and all 35-plus VuePlanner employees will join Cadent, bringing the company’s headcount to roughly 640.

Cadent CEO Nick Troiano said the acquisition aligns with growing advertiser demand for consolidated solutions as video consumption continues to spread across multiple platforms. Cadent, which remains heavily focused on video, sees VuePlanner as a natural extension of its existing offering, particularly as YouTube now accounts for an estimated 10%–13% of U.S. TV viewership and generated more than $36 billion in revenue last year.

By integrating VuePlanner, Cadent gains access to advanced YouTube planning and measurement capabilities. VuePlanner is one of just seven companies certified through the YouTube Measurement Program, giving it privileged access to content insights, contextual data, and performance analytics.

VuePlanner co-founder and CEO John Cobb will join Cadent as EVP and GM of the newly formed Cadent VuePlanner unit.

The acquisition marks Cadent’s third buyout in three years and reflects an ongoing effort to scale into a more fully omnichannel advertising platform. The company previously purchased AdTheorent for $324 million and acquired EMX’s SSP technology in 2023 before being bought by private equity firm Novacap.

Cadent executives say the addition of VuePlanner will help advertisers unify planning and activation across screens, supported by Cadent’s existing predictive advertising models. The company operates roughly 22,000 AI-driven models that optimize campaigns across linear, CTV, digital video, and now YouTube’s creator inventory.

VuePlanner, launched by Giant Media in 2018, uses a combination of AI and human curation to identify high-intent YouTube content, score video quality, and provide pre-bid transparency for brand-suitable placements. Its certification through YouTube’s Measurement Program requires regular audits to maintain access to platform data.

The acquisition also gives VuePlanner access to Cadent’s larger customer base, which both companies describe as largely non-overlapping. For now, VuePlanner will operate as a standalone unit while teams explore deeper integration over the next six to nine months.

Both Troiano and Cobb say the deal will not involve staff reductions — a notable point in an industry recently hit by thousands of layoffs following the Omnicom–IPG merger. Instead, the companies expect cross-training, cross-selling, and continued hiring across several divisions.

Cadent says the deal positions it as the only platform offering activation of YouTube’s premium creator inventory alongside linear and CTV as part of a single, end-to-end workflow. With YouTube now playing a central role in TV viewing habits, the acquisition gives Cadent a more defensible position as advertisers shift budgets across converged media.