In Continued Expansion, Horizon Media Acquires Experiential Transformation Pioneer 'First Tube' - the Leading Live Digital Experience Platform for Brands

Strategic acquisition brings hybrid digital experiential services to
 Horizon clients, further expanding its overall offering

NEW YORK, June 30, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The pandemic created a quickly evolving marketing landscape – pushing brands to shift away from IRL ("in real life") touchpoints to digital experiences and forcing them to rethink experiential marketing overall. With more brands and more channels competing for consumer attention, and consumers engaging with content on their own terms, brands must become more creative in breaking through barriers, connecting artists to new fans, and targeting audiences with authentic engagement. Today, Horizon Media, the largest U.S. media agency according to AdAge Data Center 2022, is taking another innovative step by acquiring a majority interest in First Tube – the leading live digital experience platform for brands – adding hybrid digital experiential marketing to the suite of services offered to clients.

"Some companies have chosen to reactively cut back in this time, but Horizon is focused on the long game," said Bill Koenigsberg, CEO and Founder of Horizon Media. "We are making strategic investments in technology and creativity platforms that meet and exceed our clients' desire to better connect their brands with consumers in more meaningful ways now and in the future. Our goal every day is to be our clients' most valued partner, and we make that possible by consistently helping to drive their business with expanded offerings, relevant innovation, and enhanced marketing and growth service capabilities that reach their audiences in new and different environments – whether the metaverse, NFTs, Web3.0, experiential, data solutions or beyond."

Established in 2017, First Tube is one of the pioneers in the "experiential transformation" space, combining the power of performance media with experiential, delivering a new format for brands to harness creative, experiences, content, and media – all in one solution. The company has delivered substantial ROI for prominent global brands in numerous categories including CPG, DTC, financial services, media, retail, technology and more. First Tube will continue to operate as a standalone company and be led by Andrew Beranbom, CEO and Co-Founder.

"Not only does the acquisition broaden our creative and innovative solutions, it's also truly symbiotic – both Horizon and First Tube benefit from each other's expertise," said Donnie Williams, EVP/Chief Digital Officer, Horizon Media. "Coming on the heels of launching our metaverse- and Web3-focused unit, Chapter & Verse, earlier this month, this move significantly strengthens Horizon's position as we guide clients into web3 and the metaverse, while giving First Tube a foothold in the metaverse itself."

Experiential Transformation – the marketing discipline that transforms a brand's assets into dynamic content that has never been experienced before – is forcing a titanic shift in the global $71 billion experiential marketing industry (per PQ Media) while helping advertisers move beyond traditional formats and create meaningful experiences. 

"Horizon is a market leader, driving data-driven marketing solutions, so the unique opportunity to add an exciting capability with deep expertise across their entire portfolio, while accelerating our leadership position in the market, is an easy win-win," said Beranbom. "This move enables investment in First Tube's innovation and technology road map, while ensuring we can capitalize on the massive opportunities ahead across Horizon's full portfolio."

Horizon Media, Inc, the largest U.S. media agency according to AdAge Data Center 2022, delivers data-driven business outcomes for some of the most innovative and ambitious brands. Founded in 1989, headquartered in New York, and with offices in Los Angeles and Toronto, the company employs 2,400 people and has media investments of more than $9 billion.  Horizon Media's fundamental belief is that business is personal, which drives its approach to connecting brands with their customers and engaging with its own employees resulting in industry-leading workplace satisfaction levels (Glassdoor).  The company is consistently recognized by independent media outlets for its client excellence and has earned several "Best Workplaces" awards reflecting its commitment to DEI and the life and well-being of everyone at Horizon Media.

First Tube is a leading branded live experience marketing platform designed to deliver "always on" premium video content distributed at scale resulting in clear ROI. Founded in 2017 in Brooklyn, NY, FTM is a team of music experts, filmmakers, digital marketers, and technologists that have put together a full-service approach that has powered thousands of digital experiences delivering billions of views for some of the top brands in the world.

SOURCE Horizon Media