Outbrain completes transformation to Teads brand with new ticker symbol
Outbrain officially rebrands to Teads following February 2025 acquisition. Stock trades as TEAD starting June 10.
The digital advertising industry witnessed a significant milestone today as Outbrain Inc. officially completed its corporate transformation to Teads Holding Co., marking the final phase of a comprehensive rebranding initiative that began with the company's $900 million acquisition of Teads in February 2025.
Get the PPC Land newsletter ✉️ for more like this
The announcement, made exactly four months after the acquisition closed on February 3, 2025, represents the culmination of one of the largest consolidation moves in the digital advertising sector this year. According to the company's statement released this morning, shares of the newly named entity will begin trading under the ticker symbol "TEAD" on the Nasdaq effective June 10, 2025.
David Kostman, who serves as CEO of the combined entity, emphasized the strategic importance of the rebranding completion. "The name change is an important milestone to complete the combined company's rebrand," according to Kostman's statement. He further noted that "Teads is now one of the largest platforms on the premium open internet, combining the legacy companies' strengths in performance and branding into an end-to-end platform focused on measurable outcomes for advertisers."
Yield: How Google Bought, Built, and Bullied Its Way to Advertising Dominance
A deeply researched insider’s account of Google’s epic two-decade campaign to dominate online advertising by any means necessary.
The technical specifications of the merged platform reveal substantial operational capacity. According to internal company metrics, the system processes one billion predictions each minute through its artificial intelligence engine. The platform maintains direct partnerships with more than 10,000 publishers globally and serves over 20,000 advertisers across international markets.
Financial documentation filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission indicates the transaction structure included $625 million in cash and 43.75 million shares of Outbrain common stock. The stock component was valued at approximately $263 million based on Outbrain's closing price of $6.01 on January 31, 2025. Goldman Sachs Bank USA, Jefferies Finance LLC, and Mizuho Bank provided committed debt financing for the cash portion.
The rebranding affects no operational aspects of current business relationships. According to the company's filing, the corporate name change will not impact existing stockholders, contracts, or day-to-day operations. Shareholders require no action in connection with the transformation.
Market reach statistics demonstrate the scale of the combined operation. According to Comscore measurements across multiple international markets, including the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, and various European and Asian countries, the platform reaches 2.2 billion consumers monthly across mobile and connected television environments worldwide.
The integration combines two distinct technological approaches to digital advertising. Outbrain's AI-driven performance technology, which previously focused on content recommendation and engagement, now operates alongside Teads' video advertising capabilities and premium media positioning. This merger creates what company executives describe as a comprehensive solution spanning the entire marketing funnel from awareness through conversion.
Connected television represents a significant component of the combined platform's capabilities. According to company data, the system maintains connections to the top four original equipment manufacturers and several major streaming applications, providing access to 50 billion monthly connected television advertising opportunities. The infrastructure scans 500,000 connected television programs monthly for data enrichment purposes.
The leadership structure reflects the collaborative nature of the integration. Kostman, previously Outbrain's CEO, assumes the chief executive role for the combined company. Jeremy Arditi and Bertrand Quesada, who served as Teads' co-CEOs prior to the acquisition, now function as Co-Presidents and Chief Business Officers for the Americas and International markets respectively.
The company's global footprint spans 36 countries with nearly 1,800 employees. This international presence supports operations across premium digital environments in markets where open internet advertising competes with closed ecosystem platforms.
Technical infrastructure demonstrates advanced data processing capabilities. According to company specifications, the platform processes 160 billion signals through AI systems, enabling sophisticated targeting across different advertising contexts. This computational capacity supports real-time optimization across various digital advertising formats and environments.
The transformation occurs within a dynamic digital advertising landscape where independent platforms compete against established technology companies for advertiser spending and publisher partnerships. Industry analysts note that consolidation moves like the Outbrain-Teads merger reflect strategic responses to competitive pressures and technological requirements in programmatic advertising markets.
Preliminary financial data from both companies indicates substantial market presence prior to integration. The combined advertising spend reached approximately $1.7 billion in fiscal year 2024. Unaudited results show a combined Ex-TAC Gross Profit of $623 million and Adjusted EBITDA of $230 million in 2024, including projected synergies from the integration.
Regulatory approvals for the transaction were secured across multiple jurisdictions where both companies maintained operations. The completion follows a December 5, 2024 shareholder vote where more than 99% of votes cast supported the share issuance proposal required for the acquisition structure.
The rebranding timeline reflects a methodical approach to corporate integration. Initial acquisition discussions began in 2024, with the formal announcement occurring in August 2024. Shareholder approval was obtained in December 2024, regulatory clearances were completed by February 2025, and the operational integration under the Teads brand has now concluded with today's corporate name change.
Market positioning for the combined entity emphasizes its role as an alternative to closed advertising ecosystems. The platform's focus on premium open internet environments contrasts with advertising options within social media platforms and search engines that maintain more restrictive publisher and advertiser access policies.
Connected television advertising represents a growth area where the combined platform's capabilities may provide competitive advantages. The integration of video advertising expertise from Teads with performance optimization technology from Outbrain creates technical capabilities designed to address advertiser demands for measurable outcomes in streaming media environments.
The completion of the rebranding marks the end of a transition period that began with initial acquisition discussions and extends through today's corporate name finalization. According to company documentation, additional integration activities will continue as the combined entity optimizes operations and technology systems under the unified Teads brand.
Why this matters
The completion of the Outbrain-Teads rebranding represents a strategic shift in digital advertising infrastructure that affects multiple aspects of marketing operations. The combined platform creates new capabilities for advertisers seeking alternatives to dominant technology platforms while maintaining access to premium publishing environments.
For performance marketers, the integration of Teads' video advertising technology with Outbrain's AI-driven optimization creates opportunities for cross-channel campaign coordination. The platform's ability to process one billion predictions per minute through its AI engine enables real-time optimization across different advertising formats and audience segments.
Connected television advertising capabilities particularly benefit marketers seeking to reach audiences in streaming environments. The platform's access to 50 billion monthly connected TV advertising opportunities, combined with its scanning of 500,000 programs for data enrichment, provides targeting options that complement traditional linear television buying strategies.
The scale of the combined platform – reaching 2.2 billion consumers monthly across 50+ markets – offers marketers significant reach potential while maintaining focus on premium content environments. This positioning addresses concerns about brand safety and content quality that affect advertising placement decisions across open internet channels.
Timeline
August 1, 2024: Outbrain announces plans to acquire Teads in a $1 billion transaction, according to ppc.land coverage of the initial announcement
November 7, 2024: Outbrain reports Q3 2024 results showing 5% gross profit increase while confirming the Teads merger remains on track for Q1 2025 completion, as reported by ppc.land analysis
December 5, 2024: Outbrain shareholders approve share issuance for Teads acquisition with more than 99% vote support, detailed in ppc.land coverage
February 3, 2025: Outbrain completes $900 million acquisition of Teads, creating combined advertising platform, as documented in comprehensive ppc.land analysis
June 9, 2025: Outbrain completes corporate rebranding to Teads Holding Co., with new ticker symbol "TEAD" effective June 10, 2025