Half a billion dollars can buy a lot of independence. For the man who just sold his company for that amount, the deal represents digital freedom for advertisers, in particular.<\/p>\n
Mediaocean agreed to acquire<\/a> ad server Flashtalking for $500 million.<\/p>\n In this video interview with Beet.TV, Flashtalking CEO John Nardone explains why he hopes it means liberation from industry giants.<\/p>\n “Google, Facebook and Amazon are such dominant forces, advertisers need their own ad tech system with some weight and scale and, importantly, independence to be able to manage across all of those environments,” Nardone explains.<\/p>\n “(This) sets Mediaocean up now to be that end-to-end system of record, an independent ad-tech that is not at all committed to or controlled by the walled gardens.”<\/p>\n Mediaocean said<\/a> it expects to process about $200 billion in annualized ad spend this year. It says<\/a>: “The announcement comes at a critical inflection point for the advertising industry as marketers seek trusted, independent solutions to manage the rise of big tech.”<\/p>\n Mediaocean to Buy Flashtalking for $500 Million as it Preps IPO, WSJ<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\nAnother brick in the wall<\/h2>\n