LiveRamp to Acquire Data Plus Math

Data platforms provider LiveRamp is acquiring Data Plus Math, a media measurement company that ties cross-screen ad exposure with real-world outcomes. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

The combination of LiveRamp and Data Plus Math brings together LiveRamp's people-based identity graph with cross-screen data and key sell-side relationships.

"While TV continues to be the most engaging screen in the household, the landscape is shifting," said Scott Howe, CEO of LiveRamp, in a statement. "Data and technology have transformed the relationship a brand can have with its consumers on TV, creating tremendous opportunities to improve how TV inventory is bought, sold, and measured. We are excited for Data Plus Math to join the LiveRamp family and look forward to working closely with its deeply experienced team of industry experts. Together, we will accelerate LiveRamp's TV efforts and offerings and unlock the amazing power of data-driven TV for the entire ecosystem."

"This is an exciting acquisition for LiveRamp," said Tim Castree, North American CEO at GroupM, in a statement. "Our clients are seeking more precise solutions for people-based, cross-platform activation and measurement. The combination of LiveRamp's identity management capabilities and Data Plus Math's TV attribution expertise will certainly help us accelerate that."

"For three decades, Horizon's business has been built on an integrated business service model," said Bill Koenigsberg, president, CEO, and founder of Horizon Media, in a statement. "Data Plus Math is a partner of ours because we trust them as business solution experts. They have been able to integrate TV and digital ad exposure with data analytics, insights, and analysis. Now we'll look to LiveRamp to elevate what we've done with Data Plus Math, incorporating people-based identity into video buys, all within a Safe Haven environment to protect and uphold consumer privacy."

"A+E Networks was the first to offer outcome-based guarantees, working to successfully shift the media industry mindset in partnership with Data Plus Math," said Peter Olsen, executive vice president of ad sales at A+E Networks, in a statement. "Data Plus Math has been instrumental in our efforts to provide marketers with measurement tools that accurately reflect TV's unmatched power to drive business outcomes. This deal will continue to help elevate the groundbreaking, foundational work that Data Plus Math and LiveRamp have already done as neutral constituents to bolster cross-screen measurement and outcome attribution for advertisers, agencies, and media companies."

"A requirement for growing the market for audience-based buying is campaign measurement that goes beyond reach. We are encouraged by the work Data Plus Math has been doing to go beyond reach and map exposure to business outcomes," said David Levy, CEO of OpenAP, in a statement. "Further cementing a relationship with LiveRamp is an important step that creates more opportunities for marketers to better measure and action outcome data across the consumer journey."

"Our mission at NCC is to empower brands to connect with their audiences wherever and whenever they watch content, which is why we are so excited by this news," said Nicolle Pangis, CEO of NCC Media, in a statement. "The combination of LiveRamp and Data Plus Math is a great thing for the industry and represents an important step toward building an open and flexible model for the next generation of TV advertising."

This acquisition deepens LiveRamp's commitment to neutrality. In addition, it furthers LiveRamp's ongoing commitment to providing an open and scaled omnichannel identity solution, which includes efforts such as embedding IdentityLink into the bidstream; launching the Open Internet Measurement Initiative; providing LiveRamp's identity graph to demand-side platforms free of charge via IdentityLink for Real-time Bidding; and expanding that to include cookieless inventory with its Authenticated Traffic Solution.

"On the heels of our strategic partnership announced last year, we're incredibly excited to now be joining LiveRamp," said John Hoctor, CEO of Data Plus Math, in a statement. "TV remains the most effective way for brands to quickly reach their audience, build their brand, and drive product sales. Unfortunately as consumer's viewing habits have evolved, TV measurement has struggled to keep up. With LiveRamp, we're changing that."