By Stuart Thomson

Digital ad measurement and data analytics outfit DoubleVerify is to acquire OpenSlate, a company that specialises in pre-campaign contextual targeting to enable brands to align advertising with suitable or contextually relevant content across social video and connected TV.

The cash and stock deal, valued at US$150 million, is expected to close this quarter. DoubleVerify will purchase OpenSlate with approximately US$125 million in cash and US$25 million in common stock.

OpenSlate’s platform is designed to provide insight into the nature and quality of ad-supported content on video-driven social platforms, such as Facebook, TikTok and YouTube.

Founded in 2012, OpenSlate operates across 37 international markets and supports agency holding companies and over 200 large global brands, including Coca-Cola, Facebook, Kimberly-Clark, Pfizer and Unilever.

DoubleVerify says that the acquisition will further expand its value to advertisers in social video and connected TV by combining OpenSlate’s pre-activation targeting controls with its own post-flight measurement.

“DV’s mission is to make digital advertising stronger, safer and more secure, giving global brands clarity and confidence in their digital investments. Our strategy in support of this mission is to verify everywhere – across channels, formats, platforms and geographies. The combination with OpenSlate fully supports this approach. OpenSlate’s pre-campaign solutions perfectly complement DV’s post-campaign measurement capabilities across CTV and social environments. Integrating the two provides advertisers with unparalleled end-to-end brand safety, suitability and contextual optimization. No other company will be able to deliver a fully-owned, integrated solution across the leading social and CTV walled gardens,” said  DoubleVerify CEO, Mark Zagorski.

“The OpenSlate team is thrilled to join forces with DoubleVerify – an industry-leading, rapidly expanding, global organization with best-in-class media quality and performance capabilities,” said OpenSlate CEO, Mike Henry. “Integrating with DV will be a natural evolution for our technology and will accelerate our ability to provide advertisers with comprehensive brand safety, suitability, and contextual solutions across social video and CTV.”