T-Mobile Buys Vistar to Pool Ad and Customer Data

Cellphone operator T-Mobile will pay around $600m in cash to acquire Vistar Media, which provides technology solutions for digital-out-of-home (DOOH) advertisements. The latter's 'intelligent marketplace' ad trading and campaign management solutions will join T-Mobile's Advertising Solutions business.

Vistar's solutions provide ad buying, selling and management solutions across a global network of more than 1.1 million digital screens provided by nearly 370 OOH media owners. The acquisition brings this together with T-Mobile's customer insights and data - the latter is one of the largest physical in-store retail media network operators, and the combination promises advertisers 'more addressable and measurable solutions, delivering greater efficiency and ROI, while enhancing the consumer experience'.

JP Colaco, SVP & Chief T-Ads Officer at T-Mobile says the firm sees 'a tremendous opportunity to provide more relevant and personalized advertising', adding: 'advertisers can easily place their ads where they know their audience will be, improving every step of the customer journey'. Michael Provenzano (pictured), CEO and co-founder of New York-based Vistar, describes T-Mobile as 'a brand that truly understands the power and potential of out-of-home advertising', and adds: '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'.

Subject to customary closing conditions and approvals, the transaction is expected to close this quarter. Web site: www.t-mobile.com/advertising-solutions .