Walmart just wrote another billion-dollar check to prove it’s dead serious about becoming an advertising company. The retailer announced its agreement to acquire Vibe.co, a self-serve connected TV advertising platform, in a deal valued between $1 billion and $1.4 billion.
This isn’t Walmart’s first move into connected TV. It acquired smart TV maker Vizio for roughly $2.3 billion in December 2024. But where Vizio gave Walmart the screens, Vibe.co gives it the software to fill those screens with ads from a much wider pool of advertisers.
What Vibe.co actually does
Vibe.co built a self-serve platform that essentially turns CTV ad buying into something closer to running a Facebook ad campaign. A local pizza chain or a DTC skincare brand can now buy ads on streaming services without needing a Madison Avenue agency on retainer.
The platform provides access to over 500 streaming channels and serves more than 10,000 advertisers. Founded around 2021-2022, Vibe.co grew fast enough to raise a $22.5 million Series A in early 2024, with later funding rounds bringing its total to approximately $50 million. Now it’s getting acquired for potentially 28 times that amount.
