It's over, the Outbrain/Taboola merge isn't happening! (6)
It's over, the Outbrain/Taboola merge isn't happening!
Looks like the "biggest native ad network" is not happening and there will still be 2 leaders in the native space.
As most of you know, Taboola was about to acquire it's biggest competitor Outbrain... it was supposed to happen until the end of next month, but looks like it's not happening.
Obviously, Taboola decided it's not "worth it financially". The contract allowed both parties to back out of the deal in case they decide so til October 2020 and that's exactly what happened.
Full release is on Taboola's website here: https://blog.taboola.com/why-the-tab...-didnt-happen/
Originally Posted by matuloo
On the one hand I was kind of bummed because we do better on Taboola and I was excited for more volume (since would have been absorbing Outbrain vs vice versa), but on the other hand the more competition the better in general I'd say...
Funny, on Wikipedia it said that they merged in 2019 already and operated under the Taboola brand.
The text got changed on Wednesday.
I wonder what was the real reason for calling the deal off.. each of the sides are sharing "a bit" different view 
Originally Posted by matuloo
just got into running native am very curious.
As an important partner of Outbrain, we want to get in touch and provide context to recent news regarding the merger with Taboola.
As you may have read, we decided that the merger will not go ahead and are working towards official termination.
Trust and transparency are an integral part of our DNA, so we want to ensure you hear the reasons for our decision from us directly.
Over the past few months, we recognized just how fundamentally different Outbrain and Taboola are when it comes to our values, corporate culture and business approach. This culminated in Taboola’s attempt to renegotiate the original terms of the agreement, which included $250mm in cash and a 30% share in the combined company.
We strongly believe successful partnerships are founded on trust and respect. It became increasingly clear that our employees, shareholders, and partners such as yourself, are much better served by having Outbrain as an independent company with our strong values and partnership DNA.
What made this decision even more straightforward is the strong business momentum Outbrain is experiencing. 2020 has been challenging for everyone but, despite it all, we were able to innovate faster than ever before, support a record number of clients and, as a result, exceed our financial growth goals. But most importantly, we stayed true to our core values and honored our commitments to our partners. As Yaron wrote in March earlier this year, we will get through this together.
With the weight of the merger no longer holding us back, both of us, and all of Outbrain, are excited and look forward to continuing working with you. We have ambitious, bold plans for 2021 and beyond.
In the meantime, Yaron has spoken for both us in sharing his excitement for the future — which you can read on the Outbrain blog .
We look forward to many more years of continued partnership. Please do not hesitate to reach out to us, or your Outbrain team, with any questions.
Sincerely,
Yaron Galai
Founder & Co-CEO
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