Deutsche Telekom Forms Alliance With Equativ

Deutsche Telekom, majority owner of T-Mobile, today unveils its partnership with Equativ to shape the future of targetable TV advertising through programmatic marketing in Germany. By leveraging extensive reach in premium digital environments and precise targeting, the alliance empowers advertisers to minimize unnecessary expenditures while airing their commercials, while at the same time connecting with consumers in meaningful and captivating environments, effectively capturing audience interest and increasing customer engagement.

This strategy not only maximizes advertising efficiency but also enriches the overall customer journey by delivering pertinent messages precisely when and where they matter most. For Deutsche Telekom, advertising is one of the strategic business areas outside its core business in which it wants to grow in Germany. This is why MagentaTV, its versatile streaming service, will enable addressable TV on devices from mid-2024.

Together with Equativ, the leading independent ad tech platform, excelling in ad serving and server-side ad insertion, MagentaTV will advance programmatic, ad server-based TV advertising in Germany. As a first step, Equativ’s subsidiary Nowtilus, the Server-Side Ad Insertion Platform, will enable major TV broadcasters to market their own inventory programmatically and in a targeted manner on MagentaTV. The Serverside.ai solution enables Deutsche Telekom audience-based replacement of TV advertising in the MagentaTV offering. With innovative strength, a clear focus, and joint expertise, the Equativ and Deutsche Telekom teams are implementing ways to monetize high-quality inventory in linear TV, FAST, and live sports. Additionally, Equativ’s ad serving expertise will be used for Deutsche Telekom’s own inventories, such as MagentaSport.

To further expand this business in Germany, Deutsche Telekom has engaged its corporate venture unit T.Capital in the initiative as well as Equativ’s majority shareholder, private equity firm Bridgepoint, to help maximize the strategic value for all stakeholders involved.

Dr. Jörg Richartz, Vice President Sales & Marketing TV at Deutsche Telekom, assesses the partnership: “Addressable TV is a growth driver for MagentaTV outside our core business. Through our Magenta Ad Solutions, we will enable major broadcaster groups, such as RTL Deutschland and P7S1, to target their advertising customers’ TV spots on MagentaTV in such a way that they reach their target groups in the best possible way. Our partner Nowtilus is a central component in our technical infrastructure for addressable TV. The fact that we are now underpinning our commitment with a strategic investment in the parent company shows how convinced we are of their solutions.” He adds, “In the future, we would like to further intensify our relationship with Equativ. For our own offerings such as MagentaSport or the planned FAST channels on MagentaTV, we are currently examining how we can integrate and use their digital product range even more.”

“We’re thrilled to announce our partnership with Deutsche Telekom and MagentaTV, revolutionizing programmatic TV advertising in Europe, especially in Germany. Leveraging our full CTV suite, we empower major TV broadcasters to market their inventory programmatically on MagentaTV.” stated Arnaud Créput, CEO at Equativ. He adds, “Committed to further innovation, this partnership opens up exciting opportunities for enhancing market-leading advertising and customer engagement products, to better support Deutsche Telekom as an advertiser through curated programmatic direct buying solutions. Additionally, it will reinforce our shared dedication to Utiq, positioning it as the premier privacy-safe advertising ID backbone in Europe. With Deutsche Telekom’s T.Capital and Bridgepoint on board, we’re poised to maximize strategic value, reinforcing our growth trajectory and unwavering commitment to the video and connected TV space.”

Jean-Baptiste Salvin, Partner at Bridgepoint, added: “With several investments in the Martech and Adtech industries, including MiQ and Equativ, Bridgepoint has demonstrated its strong interest and capacity to back the most innovative and successful operators in the digital programmatic ecosystem. We are delighted to welcome the investment of Deutsche Telekom within Equativ to develop together the future of Addressable TV.”

Alexander Helmke, Managing Director of T.Capital, takes a look at the added value resulting from this investment: “We are convinced that Equativ, as an independent and innovative provider of digital advertising solutions, is continuously strengthening its competitive position through technological expansion and targeted acquisitions. In addition, the company has a highly competent management team that has made product development and quality its core task. We see great potential both in the company itself and in MagentaTV’s cooperation with Equativ. We are therefore pleased to support the partnership with a strategic investment.”

About MagentaTV:

MagentaTV bundles traditional television and streaming services on one platform. MagentaTV+ is always included free of charge. There are up to 180 TV channels and more than 150 HD channels to choose from. In addition, functions such as timeshift, restart and seven-day replay offer unparalleled convenience. MagentaTV can be booked independently of the Internet connection, can also be used in other EU countries and can be used at home and on the move via Deutsche Telekom devices as well as smart TVs, streaming sticks, smartphones and tablets. Further information can be found at www.magentatv.de.

About Equativ:

Equativ is a leading independent ad tech platform built to serve the interests of both advertisers and publishers. Equativ provides brand and privacy-safe solutions that empower its clients to achieve maximum impact, while respecting the rights of consumers, and combines client expertise and engineering excellence to serve the interests of both the supply-side and demand-side with equal professionalism and technical sophistication. Headquartered in Paris and New York, Equativ operates globally with a team of over 550 employees in 16 offices. Equativ offers the market its own independent ad server, SSP, buyer tools, and media services to fulfill the promise of advertising technology. Learn more at Equativ.com

About Bridgepoint:

Bridgepoint Group plc is a listed international alternative asset manager focused on middle-market companies. With over €41 billion of assets under management, the company has nearly 200 investment professionals in Europe, North America and Asia. We combine global scale with local market insight and sector expertise, consistently delivering strong returns through cycles. Bridgepoint invests with four distinct strategies: Mid-cap, Smid-cap, Growth and Credit. The Group has been present in France for over 35 years, where it has one of the largest investment teams and a track record of landmark deals. Learn more at: Bridgepoint Home

About T.Capital:

T.Capital is responsible for Telekom’s corporate ventures. The team invests strategic capital and manages Telekom’s minority investment portfolio in investment funds of various vintage years. The venture capital company invests in early and late stage companies that have synergies with Telekom and promotes partnerships that create long-term strategic and financial value for both parties. T.Capital also supports Deutsche Telekom in technology acquisitions of significant minority and majority stakes. The investments are in line with the Telekom Group’s business priorities and initiatives and are made on behalf of its wholly-owned subsidiary Telekom Innovation Pool GmbH.

Press contact:

Deutsche Telekom AG
Christoph Handwerk
Corporate Communications
Friedrich-Ebert-Allee 140
53113 Bonn
+49 175 638 1448 (Mobil)
E-Mail: christoph.handwerk@telekom.de