AOL Acquires Vidible, Strengthening Its Position as YouTube Alternative

On Monday, AOL acquired Vidible, a leading independent cross-screen video management and exchange platform for buyers and sellers of digital media. In conjunction with the acquisition of Adap.tv last year for $405 million, this deal now gives AOL one of the most comprehensive video content management solutions in the marketplace for creators and publishers.

Financial terms of the Vidible deal were not disclosed.

Vidible’s cross-screen platform offers a self-service set of tools and exchange capabilities with robust real-time reporting for content creators and publishers. Content creators use the platform to expand distribution reach and increase monetization options of their video content, while publishers in need of contextually relevant videos for their sites can use Vidible to source and manage content, which engages audiences and creates new advertising based revenue streams.

With the Vidible acquisition, AOL:

• Expands its video stack with new video content management tools.
• Increases availability and management of premium video globally to publishers and content owners via a self-serve platform.
• Adds a video content exchange that will seamlessly plug into AOL’s monetization platforms, including ONE by AOL.
• Adds a team of proven operators and top-notch product and technical leaders.

Dermot McCormack, president of AOL Video and Studios, said, “AOL is focused on transforming the digital media environment by creating an open marketplace for video.” He added, “We are thrilled to welcome the Vidible team to AOL as we accelerate our mission of providing our partners the platform and tools they need to better create, curate, syndicate, and monetize their content across the globe.”

The addition of Vidible’s global platform to AOL Video’s offering, including premium original content, programming, and publishing partner network, will create one of the most comprehensive set of tools in the marketplace for its partners to offer a highly differentiated experience optimizing yield and expanding premium reach for both.

Tim Mahlman, president and co-founder of Vidible, said, “We’re excited to be joining AOL, a company that is at the forefront of video.” He added, “The combination of AOL Video and Vidible accelerates our vision of making content management and syndication available to video content creators and publishers everywhere.”

Vidible brings a global content exchange with more than 300,000 videos and more than 800 million monthly video plays, adding to AOL’s library of 1 million premium videos.

In September 2013, AOL completed its acquisition of Adap.tv, a global, programmatic video advertising platform for the world’s largest brands, agencies, and publishers.

At the time, Adap.tv was the only complete global programmatic video technology stack across all screens currently in the marketplace. Since then, it has operated independently as part of AOL’s video organization. It has been included as part of the overall solution offered by AOL Networks to leading publishers, advertisers, and agencies seeking to maximize the value of their online investments.

What does AOL’s acquisition of Vidible on Monday on top of its acquisition of Adap.tv last year mean to digital marketers? It solidifies AOL’s position as one of the leading alternatives to YouTube in digital video. The other leading alternatives are Facebook, which has rolled out sponsored video ads for brands within the News Feed with a $1 million-a-day price tag, and Yahoo, which recently acquired BrightRoll for approximately $640 million in cash. However, AOL is now well positioned to capitalize on two clear trends in the video space: the movement of advertising dollars from linear to online video and the shift from manual transactions to programmatic media buying. And that’s a strong position for a challenger in digital video.