Editor's note (Updated August 4, 2026):Walmart todayannouncedthe completion of its acquisition of Vibe.co. In a statement, Ryan Mayward, General Manager and Senior Vice President of Walmart Connect U.S., said: "Vibe has built an exceptional platform that makes streaming TV advertising simple and accessible for businesses of all sizes. Together, we will build on this foundation to help advertisers reach consumers more seamlessly across streaming, shopping, and the broader commerce journey, while making advertising more measurable, effective, and accessible."

Last week, Walmart announced plans to acquire Vibe.co—a connected TV (CTV) advertising platform for small and mid-sized businesses and mid-market brands. The deal was reportedly$1.2 billion in cash, marking the retailer's latest move in advertising and its largest investment in this space since acquiring smart TV maker Vizio for $2.3 billion in 2024.

The deal reflects Walmart's need to continue growing its business as it chases Amazon—which has a more mature advertising business with annual ad revenue roughly ten times that of Walmart.

"This is good news because it lowers the barrier to entry for CTV, especially for small and medium-sized businesses that may have previously found TV advertising too complex," wrote Martin Kristiseter, CEO of Digital Remedy, in an email comment. "The conversation is shifting from 'Should I invest in CTV?' to 'As these platforms continue to evolve, how do I ensure I still have clear measurement and access to my data?'"

The addition of Vibe.co will help Walmart attract more advertisers into its advertising ecosystem, which promises closed-loop measurement andretail outcomes. According to Jesse Math, Vice President of Strategic Partnerships at Keen Decision Systems, the deal combines Walmart's deterministic purchase data with Vibe's probabilistic cross-device identity graph, further connecting exposure to outcomes.

"Together, they promise a more complete view of omnichannel ROI, capturing both how Walmart internal spending creates halo effects on direct channels and how external Walmart spending in turn drives Walmart sales momentum," Math said in an email comment.

Walmart Connect's growth in capabilities and overall ad spend makes the retailer more attractive, but it also presents marketers with more complex decisions in an already fragmented market.

"What is the right allocation of spend among Walmart, Amazon, and Kroger? Where is the balance between retail media and Google Search and Meta? What is the optimal ratio of on-platform versus off-platform investment within Walmart?" Math said.

The CTV connection

The acquisition, subject to customary closing conditions, comes as Walmart's advertising business continues to grow: U.S. advertising grew 36% in the first quarter of fiscal 2027, driven by increased marketplace seller participation, with their ad spend growing more than 50%, anddriving corresponding sales growth. Walmart Connect, the retailer's retail media division (excluding Vizio), achieved 44% growth.

"Combining retail data, Vizio, and Vibe's self-service platform gives advertisers a simpler way to activate and measure CTV advertising," Kristiseter said. "It's clear Walmart wants to compete more aggressively with Amazon by making its advertising ecosystem easier to use and more performance-oriented."

Walmart's increased focus on CTV aligns with industry trends. According to research from Advertiser Perceptions, nearly 70% of CTV advertisers expect toincrease their spending in this channel this year. Correspondingly, the share of smaller advertisers investing in CTV has risen from 60% in 2024 to 85% in 2026, according to theIAB's Digital Video Ad Spend and Strategy Report。

The deal comes just weeks after Fox Corporationacquired Roku for $22 billion, combining the media company's portfolio with a CTV platform reaching over 100 million global households. Similarly, Pinterest in Decemberacquired CTV ad platform TvScientific, bringing its intent-based audience insights to the channel for the first time. According to TJ Hunter, CMO of advertising platform Keynes, Walmart's Vibe.co deal signals that CTV is at the center of audience intelligence, commerce data, and consumer relationships.

"Walmart clearly sees an opportunity to bring more advertisers into the CTV ecosystem, but this also reinforces the larger shift happening in the industry," Hunter wrote in an email comment. "Companies are increasingly viewing streaming TV as the intersection of media, commerce, data, and customer engagement."

Walmart continues to expand Connect. This month, Walmart brought its audiences to streaming video on YouTube throughGoogle's Display & Video 360, and opened up Vizio inventory throughYahoo DSP via Magnite. In April, the retailer launched the Connect Select marketplace, aimed at simplifying streaming TV ad buying through the Walmart DSP—an effort that, like the Vibe deal,targets small and medium-sized businesses。