Meta

Walmart to Acquire CTV Ad Platform Vibe

Walmart has agreed to acquire Vibe.co, a Connected TV (CTV) advertising platform focused on helping small and mid-sized enterprises (SMEs) buy streaming media. Sources told Digiday the deal is likely valued around $1 billion, though terms were not publicly disclosed. The transaction is expected to close by the end of Walmart’s fiscal 2027 year; Vibe co‑founders Arthur Querou (CEO) and Franck Tetzlaff (CTO) are expected to join Walmart Connect to support integration. Vibe previously raised a $22.5 million Series A, was later valued at $410 million after a Series B and reported $100 million ARR last year; the company claims more than 10,000 SME and mid-market advertisers. Walmart says the acquisition will combine Vibe’s self-serve CTV tools with Walmart’s commerce data and measurement to drive retail media growth on CTV.

Shopify Expands Advertising, Not Becoming Ad Tech

Shopify is expanding its advertising capabilities through a merchant-focused approach it calls “merchant marketing,” rather than building a traditional ad‑tech business. The company hired Samir Pradhan as VP of product for merchant marketing (November 2025) and recently launched an in‑platform tool called Campaign Autopilot to simplify ad setup and allocate budgets across Shopify channels, email, Google Performance Max and Meta Advantage+ Shopping Campaigns using merchants’ own Google/Meta accounts. Shopify says it does not take CPM cuts or commission on ad-driven sales (unless it is the payment processor). It is also adding demand partners for Shop Campaigns — including ChatGPT, Pinterest, Snap, TikTok, Bing and Microsoft Monetize (the former AppNexus SSP) — and plans to span walled‑garden campaign types to optimize spend for merchants while keeping the offering merchant‑first and often free.

Threads Tests 'Buddy Lists' Private Sharing Feature

Threads is reportedly testing a new 'Buddy Lists' feature that would let users create personal contact lists and share posts only with those selected people, similar to Instagram's Close Friends. App researcher Alessandro Paluzzi shared the discovery on Threads. The change could encourage more private, spontaneous sharing among smaller circles, but it may also reduce public reach and raise usability or privacy considerations. Meta or Threads have not announced an official rollout date or confirmation.