DSP MediaMath will soon be bidding on inventory again, according to reports — and by reports we mean tweets.
NBCUniversal’s VP of Product Management, Trey Titone, shared on X, “Got a notification from a certain SSP that MediaMath will resume bidding again.” Another user responded, “Same, but it will remain blocked.”
Why This Matters:
MediaMath, the OG DSP, went bankrupt last year after facing significant financial challenges, including owing over $100 million to what felt like the entire adtech ecosystem, along with unsuccessful attempts to either get acquired or secure additional financing. Some of the companies MediaMath owed money to included Magnite, PubMatic, Xandr, and Sonobi. The company closed its doors, as a result.
However, rising from the ashes, Infillion acquired MediaMath for a “measly” $22 million during a bankruptcy auction, with hopes of relaunching the platform.
“We believe the strategic value of MediaMath’s global distribution throughout the modern adtech landscape has been underappreciated and was far too important to disappear,” said Infillion’s Rob Emrich, Executive Chairman and Founder, when announcing the deal.
Infillion has certainly had success in reviving it, with reports earlier this year that “dozens” of SSPs were lining up to sign on, according to Digiday.
Now, it seems that the deal-making has reached critical mass, with at least one SSP notifying publisher and inventory partners that bidding is about to resume.
Experts React:
Yet, some remain understandably skeptical. Titone expressed some concerns about the financial stability of the company under new ownership before committing. “I’m not too familiar with the new ownership,” he said. “I suppose the first order of business for any pub is to determine whether they can pay the bills and demonstrate stability.”
In response, leading anonymous adtech persona, AdTechGod, shared, “It is an entirely different company with a clean slate. All they did was buy the tech and the pipes and will build on it. IMO, it’s safe.”
Our Take:
We are pro-adtech at AdTechRadar. However, for an industry that often soul-searches on transparency and accountability, it’s fascinating to see MediaMath re-emerge so quickly.
Clearly, some potential partners have reservations, and these are likely to continue until it becomes clearer that the value is there and the risk is low.
