AT&T’s Xandr Acquires TV Ad Business clypd

AT&T Xandr advertising unit said it acquired clypd, adding more advanced TV capabilities to its existing digital and addressable business.

Clypd is used by broadcast and cable programmers to serve relevant advertising to viewers using audience and other data. 

AT&T has been using the data from its mobile, broadband and video customers to boost it advertising business.

The new capabilities will bolster Xandr Monetize, the sell-side platform introduced earlier this year and accelerate its ability to work with WarnerMedia on advanced advertising .

Financial terms were not disclosed, but the acquisition comes at a time when when AT&T’s massive debt and high-profile acquisitions are being questioned by investor Elliott Management.

Related: Stephenson Defends AT&T Strategy After Elliott Letter

Xandr Monetize, the primary supply-side platform for Xandr’s premium marketplace Community, is also expanding access to even more premium video by adding SpotX as the exclusive third-party supply-side platform for Community for 2020.

“As part of the Xandr family, clypd will accelerate converged buying and selling across addressable TV, data-driven linear TV, mobile, and over-the-top channels on streaming video services,” Xandr said in a statement. “This provides the ultimate viewership experience as people seek content that’s relevant to them – regardless of the screen. Equally, content owners and TV programmers need simplified solutions to streamline relevant advertising, which in turn helps fund the premium content consumers know and love."

Xandr also said that it is the amount of inventory available through its Community marketplace by adding SpotX as its exclusive third-party supply-side platform in 2020.

The move will allow advertisers working with Community to tap directly into the SpotX platform. Xandr said.

Last year, Xandr spent $1.6 billion to acquire AppNexus, a digital advertising tech platform.

Jon Lafayette

Jon has been business editor of Broadcasting+Cable since 2010. He focuses on revenue-generating activities, including advertising and distribution, as well as executive intrigue and merger and acquisition activity. Just about any story is fair game, if a dollar sign can make its way into the article. Before B+C, Jon covered the industry for TVWeek, Cable World, Electronic Media, Advertising Age and The New York Post. A native New Yorker, Jon is hiding in plain sight in the suburbs of Chicago.