Breaking news this morning shows that AOL and all of their holdings are now property of Verizon. VZ is buying the company formerly known as America Online for $4.4 billion or $50 per share. The acquisition is expected to be completed this summer.
What does Verizon plan to do w/ AOL? Easy. They want AOL’s ad tech business. VZ’s vision is to offer their customers a premium digital experience for mobile marketing and video advertising. They’re looking to take advantage of their wireless video & OTT (over-the-top-video) strategy as well as supporting Verizon’s Internet of Things platforms for both consumers & businesses.
Believe it or not, there are still have $2.1 billion subscribers who utilize their dial-up service but that’s neither here nor there. Along w/ AOL, Verizon will also acquire publishing brands like The Huffington Post, Engadget, Tech Crunch, and more. Don’t expect those publishers to start praising VZ & crapping on other carriers.
Curious to see how this all plays out.
