T-Mobile to acquire leading digital OOH provider for $970 million
T-Mobile has announced its definitive agreement to acquire Vistar Media, a leading provider of technology solutions for digital out-of-home (DOOH).
Through the T-Mobile Advertising Solutions business, it will acquire all of Vistar’s capabilities, including its intelligent marketplace and technology solutions for buying, selling and managing media campaigns.
It will gain access to Vistar’s 1.1 million digital screens, that are provided by nearly 370 OOH media owners and serve more than 3,000 brand partners.
T-Mobile hopes to transform the DOOH industry by leveraging Vistar’s end-to-end ad-tech platform and scale, combining it with its existing customer insights and data.
“T-Mobile is always envisioning new ways to deliver for consumers and we see a tremendous opportunity to provide more relevant and personalized advertising,” said JP Colaco, SVP & chief T-Ads officer, T-Mobile.
“Combining T-Mobile’s customer-centric approach and its expertise as one of the nations most scaled marketers, with Vistar’s leading out-of-home technology means advertisers can easily place their ads where they know their audience will be, improving every step of the customer journey. Together with Vistar, T-Mobile will deliver advertising solutions built by marketers, for marketers.”
T-Mobile will pay approximately US$600 million (AU$970 million) in cash, subject to closing adjustments. The transaction is expected to close in Q1 2025, subject to customary closing conditions.
According to eMarketer’s forecast, DOOH ad spending in 2025 will account for over one third of the nearly US$10 billion spent on advertising in the US. As digital screens become more accessible, it is said this acquisition comes as a perfect time.
Michael Provenzano, CEO & co-founder of Vistar Media, added: “We are excited to join T-Mobile, a brand that truly understands the power and potential of out-of-home advertising.
“For 13 years, Vistar has pioneered using technology and data to transform OOH into a strategic and measurable channel. T-Mobile’s belief in the future of OOH – and their decision to acquire Vistar – underscores the strength of this channel. Together, we have the opportunity to enhance our offerings for customers and partners globally, and inspire brands to think bigger and redefine how they engage with audiences in the real world.”
Keep up to date with the latest in media and marketing
Got a tip?
Lauren McNamara is the associate editor at Mumbrella, covering the creative and PR beat. She joined in November 2022 as editorial assistant, after completing a Bachelor of Communications (Journalism) at UTS.
Linkedin
Have your say