Walmart to acquire connected TV platform Vibe.co for $1.4 billion
Walmart is again expanding its connected TV business, having signed a deal to acquire Vibe.co, a self-service connected TV advertising platform for an estimated $1.4 billion.
The deal, first reported by the Wall Street Journal, includes a cash payout of $1.2 billion to Vibe.co and about $180 million paid to the company’s top execs once the transaction closes.
Based in France, Vibe’s platform was designed for small and medium-sized businesses and mid-market brands, offering a self-service model and direct supply partner integrations and proprietary advertising technology.
Walmart intends to integrate the Vibe.co into its Connect advertising business to support broader adoption of connected TV ad media among advertisers, particularly among small-to-mid-sized businesses and mid-market advertisers, including Walmart’s third-party marketplace sellers.
“Walmart Connect is focused on making commerce media more accessible, more measurable and easier to activate for advertisers of all sizes,” said Ryan Mayward, general manager and senior vice president of Walmart Connect U.S. “Vibe.co has created a purpose-built platform that simplifies streaming TV advertising, and together, we can help more businesses connect with customers across streaming environments while measuring the impact of those campaigns through Walmart’s commerce capabilities.”
Vibe’s CEO and co-founder, Arthur Querou, and Franck Tetzlaff, Vibe chief technology officer and co-founder, are expected to join Walmart after the deal closes. The deal is expected to close by the end of 2027, and the retail giant does not expect it to have any material impact on sales and operating income growth guidance
“Vibe.co was built as the self-serve platform for performance and e-commerce marketers to run streaming TV the way they run paid social: measurable, fast to launch, and optimized for better outcomes,” said Querou. “Joining Walmart gives us the opportunity to accelerate that mission and bring performance TV advertising to one of the most powerful commerce media ecosystems in the market.”