Walmart completes acquisition of streaming ad platform Vibe.co

Walmart said on Tuesday that it has completed its acquisition of Vibe.co, a self-service streaming TV advertising platform, first announced in June. The deal brings Vibe.co into Walmart Connect, the retailer’s connected TV advertising platform. The Wall Street Journal had previously reported that Walmart was paying $1.4 billion for the acquisition; Walmart itself has not disclosed the terms.

Vibe.co’s platform lets small and medium-sized brands launch streaming TV campaigns across publishers. Folding that self-service tooling into Walmart Connect gives Walmart new ways to reach customers and expands its connected TV advertising business.

“Vibe has built an exceptional platform that makes streaming TV advertising simple and accessible for businesses of all sizes,” said Ryan Mayward, general manager and senior vice president of Walmart Connect, in a press release. “Together, we’ll build on that foundation to help advertisers connect with customers more seamlessly across streaming, shopping and the broader commerce journey while making advertising more measurable, effective and accessible.”

The deal follows Walmart’s 2024 acquisition of TV maker Vizio for $2.3 billion, the retailer’s last major move to strengthen its advertising business.

Why it matters

Pairing a TV-hardware business (Vizio) with a self-service TV ad-buying platform (Vibe.co) gives Walmart more of the connected-TV advertising stack in-house, expanding how it reaches advertisers and customers across streaming and shopping.