Jordan Bevan
The ad tech industry witnessed a phenomenal transformation in 2024, shifting from a lukewarm M&A climate in 2023 to a blazing hot year for deal-making. Strategic acquisitions and landmark mergers dominated the headlines, redefining the landscape for advertising technology, agencies, and digital content.
The resurgence began with LiveRamp’s acquisition of data clean room innovator Habu for $200 million in January and gained momentum throughout the year. By mid-2024, the volume of ad tech deals nearly doubled compared to the same period in 2023, per LUMA Partners, with a 25% year-over-year spike in Q3 alone. However, the most defining announcement came in December, as Omnicom and IPG revealed their merger plans to form the largest global advertising entity, pending regulatory approval.
While some deals were titanic, others—smaller but strategic—illustrated the dynamism of 2024. Here’s a month-by-month breakdown of the pivotal M&A activities that made waves in the industry.
January: A Strategic Kickoff
The year began with bold moves. LiveRamp’s acquisition of Habu showcased the synergy between a vast commercial identity graph and cross-cloud clean room solutions. Meanwhile, ecommerce tech firm Rokt enhanced its portfolio with AfterSell, a Shopify app aimed at optimizing checkout experiences. Notable additions also included Minute Media’s $150 million acquisition of STN Video, enhancing its sports-focused offerings.
Performance marketing agency NP Digital closed the month with its purchase of creative branding firm REBL House, signaling a growing appetite for full-service solutions in the marketing domain.
February: Big Data, Bigger Moves
February was headlined by Walmart’s $2.3 billion acquisition of smart TV maker Vizio. The deal wasn’t about hardware but the treasure trove of data and advertising opportunities provided by Vizio’s access to over 20 million smart TVs in the U.S. CTV ad platform Premion also made waves by acquiring DSP Octillion Media, targeting local advertisers with advanced solutions.
Spring Deals: A Frenzy of Innovation
March and April brought a cascade of strategic acquisitions. Sensor Tower acquired its rival Data.ai, consolidating the mobile marketing analytics space. Talent agency UTA moved into Gen Z marketing with JUV Consulting, while Cadent’s acquisition of AdTheorent highlighted the growing intersection of AI and TV advertising. Google’s interest in acquiring HubSpot, though abandoned, underscored Big Tech’s expanding gaze toward mar tech.
Midyear Momentum: Consolidation Takes Center Stage
The summer months saw significant consolidation. Seedtag snapped up Beachfront, an SSP specializing in TV and video, while Mozilla acquired Anonym, a privacy-focused measurement startup, signaling increasing investment in privacy-first technologies. French game developer Voodoo surprised many with its 500-million-euro purchase of BeReal, hinting at plans to monetize the platform through advertising.
Publicis reinforced its retail media dominance with the acquisition of Mars United Commerce, while Equativ expanded its SSP capabilities by acquiring Sharethrough, further consolidating the native advertising space.
Fall: Major Moves in Retail and Analytics
September and October witnessed landmark deals. Publicis continued its spree by acquiring influencer marketing agency Influential for $500 million. In another notable deal, Samba TV acquired Semasio, enhancing its audience measurement and contextual targeting solutions. The merger between video monetization platforms Connatix and JW Player created JWP Connatix, a formidable player in video advertising.
Ad ops startup Aditude also doubled down on its acquisitions, following up its earlier CPMStar purchase with the acquisition of Hashtag Labs, a publisher monetization platform.
Winter Climax: A Blockbuster Close
As the year wrapped up, December brought seismic changes. Walmart finalized its Vizio acquisition, and Experian closed its deal to acquire Audigent, a leader in data curation and identity resolution. Meanwhile, the Omnicom-IPG merger announcement stole the show, with the $13.25 billion all-stock deal poised to reshape the advertising marketplace.
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