Advanced Television

AppLovin acquires Wurl

March 1, 2022

Extending its reach into the connected TV (CTV) market, marketing platform AppLovin has reached a definitive agreement to acquire Wurl, a high-growth CTV software platform. The transaction is valued at approximately $430 million (€384m) and is subject to customary closing conditions.

The acquisition will extend AppLovin’s software platform capabilities into the large and growing CTV market. In 2021, eMarketer projected that US advertisers spent $14.4 billion on CTV, an increase of 60 per cent compared to 2020, with ad spending projected to surpass $30 billion by 2025.

“The acquisition of Wurl will further our commitment to building and growing the world’s largest, most-effective digital marketing platform by providing advertisers a seamless way to tap into the highly addressable and measurable CTV market,” said Adam Foroughi, CEO and co-founder of AppLovin. “We believe our software marketing expertise can further optimise the experience for advertisers and consumers as well as enable content companies to expand their audiences and increase monetisation.”

Wurl’s Global FAST Pass platform enables content companies including A+E Networks, AMC Networks, Scripps, and Bloomberg to distribute streaming video content to more than 300 million TVs and reach over 30 million users globally each month. Wurl’s distribution platform yields unique access to CTV ad inventory and data that can be harnessed to further develop its CTV performance advertising products – Wurl AdPool and Wurl Perform. Wurl makes it effortless for content companies to build and track global distribution for branded linear channels, live events, and on-demand programming to manage and monetise their ad inventory.

“Our shared vision and values made the opportunity to join forces compelling and unique,” said Sean Doherty Sr., CEO and co-founder of Wurl. “AppLovin brings enormous new demand from advertisers and our partnership will enable current customers to realise even more benefits including expanded ad revenue, new viewers, and enhanced distribution to global CTV audiences. Together, we’ll pursue our mission and dramatically impact the CTV market.”

Wurl is expected to retain its brand and operate independently with its existing management team. The acquisition is expected to close in the first half of 2022 and be funded with approximately 55 per cent cash and 45 per cent AppLovin equity.

Categories: Advertising, Articles, Broadcast, Business, Connected TV, M&A, Targetted

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