Walmart completes Vibe.co acquisition for its advertising business

Walmart completes Vibe.co acquisition, bringing the self-service streaming-TV advertising platform into Walmart Connect, its U.S. commerce-media business. The completed deal matters to investors because Walmart says Vibe.co’s technology will support a broader push to help advertisers plan, purchase and measure ads shown through streaming television.

Walmart announced the closing on Aug. 4. The retailer first disclosed its agreement to buy Vibe.co on June 23, when the transaction was still subject to customary closing conditions, including the applicable waiting period under U.S. antitrust law.

What does Walmart’s Vibe.co acquisition add to Walmart Connect?

Vibe.co provides a self-service platform that lets advertisers launch streaming-TV campaigns across premium publishers, according to Walmart. The company, founded in 2021, says its platform has helped thousands of businesses use connected-TV advertising through campaign-management tools, flexible budgets and measurement features.

Walmart says combining those tools with Walmart Connect’s commerce-media capabilities will create new ways for advertisers to plan, buy and measure streaming-TV campaigns. The retailer also says the combination is intended to make that advertising format more accessible to businesses of different sizes and help brands reach customers through the shopping journey.

For an advertiser, the practical idea is to use Vibe.co’s self-service software to set up and run a campaign, while Walmart Connect supplies its advertising business and measurement capabilities. Those expected benefits are Walmart’s stated strategy, rather than independently verified results from the combination.

What were the terms of the deal?

Walmart and Vibe.co did not disclose transaction terms when they announced the agreement in June. TechCrunch reported that The Wall Street Journal had previously put the purchase price at $1.4 billion. Walmart has not confirmed that figure in the completion announcement.

At the June announcement, Walmart and Vibe.co said that Vibe.co co-founder and Chief Executive Arthur Querou, co-founder and Chief Technology Officer Franck Tetzlaff, and the broader Vibe team were expected to join Walmart Connect after the close. Walmart’s Aug. 4 announcement confirms the acquisition is complete, but it does not separately confirm those personnel moves.

The transaction continues Walmart’s investment in advertising tied to its retail operations. Walmart says Walmart Connect serves suppliers, Marketplace sellers and other brands with advertising across online, offsite and in-store settings. Adding Vibe.co gives that business a platform focused on streaming-TV campaign activation, while the retailer works to expand its advertising offering.

This story draws on original reporting from TechCrunch.