After having announced that it’s selling its TV business assets to Discovery, which incidentally got clearance from the European Commission antitrust body earlier this week, AT&T now has said it is shedding advertising solutions company XandrOpens in favour of Microsoft.
Both AT&T and Microsoft announced that the companies have entered an agreement relating to XandrOpens. The sale to Microsoft will be subject to regulatory and other approvals, official statements from the companies said.
Xandr provides a data-enabled technology platform with tools that help power a diverse ecosystem connecting marketers and media owners through first-party, data-led advertising solutions across its network.
As the digital landscape evolves in a post-cookie world, Microsoft and Xandr together will help shape the digital ad marketplace of the future. One that respects consumer privacy preferences, understands publishers’ relationships with consumers and helps advertisers meet their goals, Microsoft said.
With Xandr, Microsoft can accelerate the delivery of digital advertising solutions for the open web by combining the company’s audience understanding, technology and global advertising customer base with Xandr’s large-scale, data-driven platforms for advertising.
“Microsoft’s shared vision of empowering a free and open web and championing an open industry alternative via a global advertising marketplace makes it a great fit for Xandr. We look forward to using our innovative platform to help accelerate Microsoft’s digital advertising and retail media capabilities,” said Xandr’s EVP and GM Mike Welch.
“With Xandr’s talent and technology, Microsoft can accelerate the delivery of its digital advertising and retail media solutions, shaping tomorrow’s digital ad marketplace into one that respects consumer privacy preferences, understands publishers’ relationships with consumers and helps advertisers meet their goals,“ said Mikhail Parakhin, President of Web Experiences at Microsoft.