Mediamath Buys German Programmatic Firm Spree7; Pixalate Finds A Botnet

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European Opportunities

MediaMath has acquired Spree7, a German programmatic firm that it previously invested in as a joint venture with PubliGroupe. Ronan Shields writes for The Drum that Germany represents a unique opportunity, as it’s one of Europe’s strongest markets, but “programmatic is only expected to have 31% market penetration in Germany come 2017. This is compared to figures of 60% in Holland, 59% in the UK, and 56% in France.” Spree7 CEO Viktor Zawadzki (no relation to MediaMath CEO Joe Zawadzki) will now run MediaMath’s regional business. More.

Ghosts In The Machine

Fraud detection firm Pixalate claims to have discovered a botnet, dubbed Xindi, that could cost advertisers as much as $3 billion by the end of next year. According to Pixalate, Xindi is designed to go after enterprise-level networks – universities, Fortune 500 companies, government organizations – which creates more valuable inventory and skirts detection. However, Ad Age reporter George Slefo notes that “It wasn’t immediately possible to confirm Pixalate’s findings on the botnet,” and no victimized networks have stepped forward. Read on.

The Boob Tube

NBC’s political editor, Mark Murray, questions the TV-first strategy that’s driving Jeb Bush’s presidential campaign. The Bush campaign and super PAC supporters have spent $20M on TV ads (next highest are Clinton and Rubio at around $8M), but that hasn’t corresponded with any polling bounce. Republican digital media experts have also started to complain that TV fundamentally disadvantages their side, because super PACs (which lean heavily toward conservative causes) pay three or four times more than a campaign (where most of the liberal spending comes from) for the same buys. More.

Publisher Belt-Tightening

“It’s been tough the last few months,” Condé Nast President Bob Sauerberg tells The Wall Street Journal’s Jeffrey Trachtenberg. Despite moderate digital and print growth, Condé Nast is shuttering Details, a fashion magazine aimed at young men. “Consumers love the magazine. It’s not fair or right,” says Sauerberg. The publisher is also combining ad sales staff at Glamour and Self magazines, and the move comes shortly after food-centric properties Epicurious and Bon Appétit were consolidated. More.

But Wait, There’s More!