News Corp’s Fox Interactive Media, today announced it acquired
Strategic Data Corporation (SDC), an interactive advertising
technology company. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
In the view of one analyst, the buy brings an element long missing to
Fox Interactive’s (FIM) Web properties: technology designed to serve
the right ads at the right time.
In statement, Fox said SDC’s technology will enable FIM to deliver
highly-targeted graphical performance-based advertising on all of its
sites, including MySpace, IGN, Direct2Drive, AmericanIdol.com and
AskMen.com.
“SDC will enable us to realize the full potential of our massive
online network,” President of Fox Interactive Media Peter Levinsohn
said in a statement.
JupiterResearch analyst Emily Riley told internetnews.com it was a predictable one for him to lead off with.
She said Fox Interactive isn’t a data a company and until recently, wasn’t a web company either. Fox is a media company that’s had to learn the Internet advertising business quickly.
“Neither Fox nor MySpace, up until this point, had any tools for maximizing revenue on their site,” Riley said. Eventually, that was going to have to change. Hence today’s news.
Fox Interactive did not respond to requests for comment by press time.
The SDC buy is the first major acquisition by FIM since president Peter Levinsohn joined the division in December of 2006.
