AT&T Exploring Sale of Xandr Digital Ad Unit: Report

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Company spent billions acquiring ad tech operations

(Image credit: Xandr)

AT&T is exploring selling of its Xandr digital ad operations, according to a published report.

Weighed down by debt AT&T has been looking for assets to sell. There have been reports that it has been in talks to divest DirecTV, its regional sports networks and Crunchyroll anime service in addition to Xandr.

 Related: Pandemic Hurts AT&T Second-Quarter Earnings 

According to the Wall Street Journal, which reported the Xandr discussions, AT&T has pivoted from wanting to be a major player in the ad market to subscription services, most prominently its HBO Max streaming operation.

AT&T spent $1.6 billion for ad tech company AppNexus in 2018 to beef up its ad unit, which was later renamed Xandr in honor of company founder Alexander Graham Bell.

Related: Ex-Xandr Head Lesser Named InfoSum’s Executive Chairman 

Earlier this year Xandr’s head, Brian Lesser left the company and Xandr became a part of AT&T’s WarnerMedia unit.

Jon Lafayette
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.