Walmart finalized its $2.3 billion acquisition of VIZIO. And for for Walmart, this deal is clearly about more than selling TVs.

Walmart can match its shopping transaction data with Vizio’s data on who’s watching what to make things like ad targeting much more precise.

And that’s a big deal for the retailer, as almost a third of its operating income in the last quarter, about 2 billion dollars, came through advertising. This sets up Walmart’s business of the future.

Joel Cox, co-founder and EVP of innovation and strategy at media agency Strategus, breaks down this fusing of retail media and streaming on this week's episode of The Current Report. Cox says this deal is bigger than might initially meet the eye because non-endemic advertisers can connect to Walmart and Vizio's data to leverage their strategies.
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To read the full stories included in this episode:

• Walmart Completes Acquisition of VIZIO: https://corporate.walmart.com/news/2024/12/03/walmart-completes-acquisition-of-vizio
• Programmatic ad platform market projected to hit $117bn by 2034: https://www.polarismarketresearch.com/industry-analysis/programmatic-advertising-platform-market

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The Current Report is our weekly news roundup of what’s happening in the world of digital media. We headline topical stories every edition — everything from connected TV to retail media networks to new initiatives around identity — offering our fresh take on why it's relevant for the marketing community. Subscribe: https://bit.ly/45HIaXH

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Each week, The Current gives you the most critical innovations in advertising that are happening on the open internet — identity, the future of TV, retail media, and beyond. Born inside The Trade Desk, The Current is a news platform dedicated to covering the latest in modern marketing — all from the front lines. Speaking to the marketing world’s most influential players, we explain what these seismic shifts mean, how they are happening, and why they are taking place: https://bit.ly/3SAM0wR