Back in February, we reported that AOL was “in talks” to buy mobile advertising firm Third Screen Media. Today AOL confirmed that the deal is through. From the press release,
“AOL announced today that it has acquired Third Screen Media, the leading mobile advertising network and mobile ad-serving and management platform provider. Third Screen Media will operate as a wholly-owned subsidiary of AOL’s Advertising.com division…
Third Screen Media connects advertisers, publishers and mobile phone carriers on a common platform, allowing ads to be managed and delivered via WAP, downloadable applications, SMS, MMS and mobile video. Dozens of leading brand advertisers, more than a hundred mobile Web publishers, and major wireless carriers participate in the Third Screen Media network.
…The acquisition comes as the mobile advertising industry is growing exponentially. In the U.S., mobile advertising is expected to grow from $421 million in 2006 to $4.7 billion by 2011, while globally the market is expected to increase to $11.3 billion by the same year.”
Third Screen Media will stay headquartered in Boston, but will become part of Advertising.com’s Internet Ad division. Check out the Q & A with Thomas Burgess, CEO of Third Screen Media, posted on GigaOM.
