AT&T confirms it is buying ad platform AppNexus reportedly for between $1.6B-$2B

#1

Post by chauzer » Mon, Jun 25, 2018, 4:05 PM UTC

AT&T confirms it is buying ad platform AppNexus reportedly for between $1.6B-$2B
techcrunch.com

Re: AT&T confirms it is buying ad platform AppNexus reportedly for between $1.6B-$2B

#2

Post by ocdtrekkie » Mon, Jun 25, 2018, 5:07 PM UTC

On one side: Net neutrality is dead, so you can see where AT&T might see a future for expanding their advertising business. But on the other side: Between GDPR and the constant calls for the US to adopt something similar, the default integration of ad blockers into more browsers, and the fact that targeted advertising just... isn't all that effective, it seems like a poor business to start investing in now.

Re: AT&T confirms it is buying ad platform AppNexus reportedly for between $1.6B-$2B

#3

Post by poooogles » Mon, Jun 25, 2018, 5:15 PM UTC

ocdtrekkie wrote: post #2

On one side: Net neutrality is dead, so you can see where AT&T might see a future for expanding their advertising business. But on the other side: Between GDPR and the constant calls for the US to adopt something similar, the default integration of ad blockers into more browsers, and the fact that targeted advertising just... isn't all that effective, it seems like a poor business to start investing in now.

>it seems like a poor business to start investing in now.

Allegedly they're buying it to integrate into their TV offerings. There's a huge market there that's relatively untapped at the moment compared to Display so it makes some sense.

Re: AT&T confirms it is buying ad platform AppNexus reportedly for between $1.6B-$2B

#4

Post by tehwebguy » Mon, Jun 25, 2018, 5:31 PM UTC

This is incredibly disturbing, they need not inject a unique ID like Verizon’s, they can now do it all on the backend.

Re: AT&T confirms it is buying ad platform AppNexus reportedly for between $1.6B-$2B

#5

Post by tehwebguy » Mon, Jun 25, 2018, 5:34 PM UTC

ocdtrekkie wrote: post #2

On one side: Net neutrality is dead, so you can see where AT&T might see a future for expanding their advertising business. But on the other side: Between GDPR and the constant calls for the US to adopt something similar, the default integration of ad blockers into more browsers, and the fact that targeted advertising just... isn't all that effective, it seems like a poor business to start investing in now.

AT&T owns the legislative & regulatory bodies that would enact something like GDRP in the US. They aren’t worried.

Re: AT&T confirms it is buying ad platform AppNexus reportedly for between $1.6B-$2B

#6

Post by dangerlibrary » Mon, Jun 25, 2018, 5:35 PM UTC

Well, since ISPs are now free to sell / monetize consumer traffic data [0], this makes some sense. They are pretty desperate for ways to be something more than a dumb pipe for other's content.

[0] https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/115/sjres34/summary

Re: AT&T confirms it is buying ad platform AppNexus reportedly for between $1.6B-$2B

#7

Post by potatote » Mon, Jun 25, 2018, 5:46 PM UTC

Last year, AT&T hired Brian Lesser, the former CEO of GroupM/WPP. They have been planning to enter the digital marketing as a player for a while now.

Re: AT&T confirms it is buying ad platform AppNexus reportedly for between $1.6B-$2B

#8

Post by JaimeThompson » Mon, Jun 25, 2018, 5:48 PM UTC

And just this morning I received a text from AT&T that said, in part, "Your privacy comes first, as always."

I wonder if they are getting their definition of privacy from the same place they get their definition of unlimited?

Re: AT&T confirms it is buying ad platform AppNexus reportedly for between $1.6B-$2B

#9

Post by rectang » Mon, Jun 25, 2018, 5:53 PM UTC

tehwebguy wrote: post #4

This is incredibly disturbing, they need not inject a unique ID like Verizon’s, they can now do it all on the backend.

When I went to start streaming the world cup, AT&T took the initiative to "sign me in" to a third party (Fox) without asking for credentials or permission.

They know who you are. They know everywhere you go. And they are happy to spread what they know about you around.