Mediengruppe RTL Deutschland has signed an agreement to acquire online video advertising company smartclip.
When the €46.9 million deal is completed, RTL will possess a 93.75 per cent stake in the company, which includes smartclip’s German, Dutch, Scandinavian and Italian operations.
smartclip will retain its businesses in Spain and Latin America.
The deal, which is subject to approval from the German federal cartel office, will be part of RTL’s ongoing strategy to strengthen its position as a major sales house for video advertising.
smartclip, founded in 2008, bundles the online video advertising inventory of 700 publishers worldwide, and manages the integration and serving of video advertising to all internet-connected devices.
RTL believes that smartclip complements RTL Group’s investments in digital advertising sales, particularly SpotX, which, according to RTL, is one of the world’s leading platforms for programmatic online video advertising.
Anke Schäferkordt, CEO of Mediengruppe RTL Deutschland, said, “The acquisition of smartclip will significantly strengthen our position as a major sales house for video advertising. In Germany, the reach of our portfolio, and thus our advertising inventory, will grow substantially with this acquisition.
“At the same time it will strengthen our technological capabilities in Europe and offers opportunities globally for innovation in cooperation with SpotX.
“With the acquisition of smartclip we significantly expand our capabilities in digital advertising sales and thus complement our growth strategy.”
