Whether a consumer is on their way to the airport or coming home from a night out, T-Mobile wants to be the bridge for brands to reach them.
The mobile telecom company officially closed a deal to acquire Octopus Interactive, a national network of rideshare screens that deliver games, prizes, video and "infotainment." Founded in 2018, Octopus operates in Uber and Lyft vehicles and has clients including Audible, Fox Entertainment and streaming company Philo.
The acquisition builds on a two-year commercial partnership and will integrate Octopus’ full staff into T-Mobile’s marketing solutions division. The devices of rideshare drivers on Octopus’ network will also now be powered by T-Mobile.
“With this move, we’re expanding our toolkit for marketers, meeting the needs of advertisers and empowering brands to better connect with consumers, beyond linear and traditional digital channels,” Mike Peralta, VP and general manager of T-Mobile’s marketing solutions division, said in a statement.
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Adding video and digital out-of-home touchpoints could complement the scale the wireless carrier has in the mobile ad world, Peralta told Ad Age. T-Mobile has been busy building out its ad tech offerings through its trove of mobile data, which continues to grow as the company absorbs Sprint customers in the wake of its 2020 merger.