Video ad tech company Unruly is to be acquired by News Corp, according to an announcement on the company’s blog today (16 September)
The deal, which is expected to be completed in September for a £58m ($86m) cash payment at closing, aims to merge Unruly’s video ad technology with News Corp’s diverse portfolio of media titles and global brands.
News Corp business units will begin to offer Unruly products to their advertising and agency partners, including increased premium video and mobile inventory and a stronger content marketing offering, over the next few months.
Unruly, which has grown since its inception in 2006 from three founders to 200 ‘Unrulies’ across 15 offices worldwide, and boasts a roster of clients including adidas and Dove, will continue to be headquartered in Shoreditch.
“The journey so far has been epic, the best is yet to come and a huge thank you to everyone in the team who travels with us and makes us proud to be Unruly,” an Unruly blog post read.
The founders of the video distribution platform, who describe themselves as ‘delighted’ at the announcement on their blog, will still lead the company as a separate business unit, reporting to Rebekah Brooks, Chief Executive of News UK.
“We have always been pioneers in our field, so combining the formidable reach and resonance of our titles with their cutting-edge technology and video expertise will help accelerate our growth in this digital age,” said Ms. Brooks.
“We look forward to working with one of Europe’s most highly regarded tech teams to create new premium video inventory for our News UK mastheads and other businesses, and to provide advertisers with best-in-class brand solutions across all platforms.”
Chief executive of News Corp Robert Thompson described Unruly as ‘a feisty and creative company with a start-up sensibility that fits perfectly with our own approach to developing businesses in the digital age’.
“Unruly complements our traditional editorial and commercial expertise with contemporary insight into how people read, watch, buy and sell in the digital era,” Thompson added.
