Horizon Media Acquires Controlling Stake in Digital-Experience Company First Tube
variety.comBrian Steinberg Senior TV EditorHorizon Media, the independent media buying company, has acquired a controlling stake in First Tube, a company that specializes in a practice that has intrigued a growing number of advertisers: digital experiences.First Tube is one of a number of companies that works to give consumers a way to interact with concerts, gatherings and the like.
The company has helped create a video hub centered around fitness for Anheuser-Busch InBev’s Michelob Ultra and helped launch a series of streamed musical performances for the GrubHub delivery service.“We are trying to anticipate consumer interest,” says Donald Williams, executive vice president and chief digital officer of Horizon Media, in an interview.Other advertising companies are also interested in these tactics are more consumers grow accustomed to experiencing live events in new ways, some of them via streaming video, or at times of their own choosing.
Ad giant Interpublic Group in April secured what is believed to be a minority stake in The Famous Group, a technology company that creates mixed and augmented reality experiences for live events.
The company created dynamic images that were placed alongside a recent Nickelodeon football broadcast tailored for kids, and has worked at the Super Bowl, the PGA Championship and the NBA All-Star Game, among other events.Like other companies, Horizon is eager to meet consumers as their behavior shifts to encompass NFTs, so-called “metaverse” experiences and more.
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