FIC Ad Network Takes Stake in Online Video Platform

LOS ANGELES, April 9: Fox
International Channels’ ad network, .FOX Networks, has bought a majority stake
in utarget, which owns the U.K.’s leading premium video advertising network of
630-plus websites.

The unit will be rebranded
utarget.Fox and will work with the Fox Interactive Media Audience Network to
pursue network advertising relationships with News Corporation-owned sites and
other third parties. The move is an effort to bolster News Corp.’s efforts in
the online advertising space.

The acquisition will
enable .FOX Networks, the year-old unit which focuses on providing quality
inventory to advertisers outside the U.S., to provide News Corp.-owned sites,
third-party publishers and advertisers additional opportunities for video ads
of any length, targeted demographically or contextually. Specializing in
high-impact subsites (also referred to as a BPU or banner-pop-under), the
London–based utarget, founded by CEO Phil Cooper, pioneered a
self-launching video player window that starts playing an ad automatically only
once the window comes into focus. utarget’s video format can accommodate spots
of any length, but it also offers traditional pre-roll ads,
contextually-targeted subsites and mobile video ads.

"FIC's television
sales teams, which represent .FOX Networks around the world, are known for
measurable brand solutions,” said Hernan Lopez, the president of .FOX Networks
and COO of Fox International Channels. “With utarget.Fox, we can now offer
innovative, brand-safe online video formats that advertisers can plan jointly
with their TV buys. At the same time, the combination will add value to
publishers, by giving them access to FIC's and .FOX's international advertiser
base even if they don't have video content."

utarget’s video products
will be offered by .FOX and Fox International Channels’ online and television
sales teams in 33 offices in Europe, Latin America and Asia, on a global,
regional, multi-territory or local basis. Phil Cooper will stay on as CEO of
utarget.Fox.

—By Mansha Daswani