Conscious Uncoupling

Hi there,

Thanks for reading on the penultimate day of the first week of September when developments in the sector took a distinctly back-to-school feel.

This week we all witnessed the implosion of the proposed merger of Outbrain and Taboola. A year ago, they began efforts to merge in a bid to rival the biggest names in online advertising.

Although, what promised to be a match made in heaven a year ago, turned out to be a hellacious year colored by regulatory scrutiny across the globe.

It would've made a formidable pairing—Outbrain and Taboola: two content recommendation companies that (combined) would include more than 2,000 employees in 23 global offices and generate a projected $2 billion in annual revenue.

Alas, the deal was called off after regulatory bodies took a bit longer than was expected with their reviews (though the Department of Justice gave the OK), it was still being looked at by the U.K.’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) and the Israel Competition Authority.

Adweek spoke with several sources, including how there was an attempt to renegotiate payments down from $250 million to something closer to $100 million. Read our take here.

What else we're covering:

Fun Fact: Pizza Hut made a 22.3-month calendar.

Need a break? Consider what the "$18 nachos" candle smells like.

Please consider sending any news tips to sara.jerde@adweek.com. Thanks for reading; see you here tomorrow!

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