ProSiebenSat.1 acquires majority stake in social advertising outfit Esome

ProSiebenSat.1 Media is acquiring a majority in Esome advertising technologies, a social-advertising provider in German-speaking region of Europe.

Hamburg-based Esome bundles the technology and the management of social media campaigns on social networks, notably Facebook, for advertisers.

ProSiebenSat.1 said that in the future, the technology will also be used for the optimisation of display, video and later for addressable TV advertising. The company will join the portfolio of ad-tech investments that ProSiebenSat.1 bundles at Advertising Platform Solutions. The acquisition is subject to approval by the responsible competition authorities.

On the basis of KPIs, Esome optimises campaigns on social networks to implement its customers’ advertising activities. Over 200 national and international companies, including around half of the businesses listed on the DAX exchange, already rely on Esome’s technology, according to ProSiebenSat.1.

Separately, ProSiebenSat.1 is expanding its ad-tech management team. Jana Eisenstein will join Advertising Platform Solutions as EVP on January 1 to manage the business together with Jens Mittnacht. Eisenstein was previously managing director for the EMEA region at advertising technology company Videology.

ProSiebenSat.1’s other investments and activities in the ad-tech sector, which it bundles at Advertising Platform Solutions, include the German ad-tech holding company Virtual Minds, the video advertising network Smartstream.TV, the content marketplace Glomex and, subject to review by antitrust authorities, the influencer marketing platform Buzzbird. The Group is also involved in the European joint venture EBX.

Christof Wahl, member of the executive board, digital, and COO ProSiebenSat.1 Group said: “The majority stake in esome is another boost for our positioning in the ad-tech sector and expands our expertise with KPI-based products in the attractive social-advertising market. With the aid of esome’s technology, performance-oriented and thus even more effective addressable TV campaigns will be a possibility in the future.”