Global’s DAX acquires US-based AudioHQ

Global, the media and entertainment group, has acquired US-based digital audio sales company, AudioHQ. This gives Global an ad sales and ad tech footprint in the US and makes DAX the largest digital audio advertising platform in the world.

Global will now have offices across the US in locations including New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and Detroit as AudioHQ is rebranded to Dax. AudioHQ has grown over 330% in the past two years, making it one of the biggest aggregators of digital audio inventory in the US.

Publishers with inventory already on the AudioHQ roster include Slacker, Major League Baseball, TuneIn and SoundCloud. In 2016 AudioHQ partnered with Laurence Fishburne and Larenz Tate to produce the scripted audio drama, Bronzeville, which was distributed through Apple, Google Play, SoundCloud, Radio One (US), TuneIn, Spotify and other platforms.

This move brings an audience of 130 million to DAX giving advertisers access to a total of 160 million people worldwide, and brings the world’s most sophisticated digital audio advertising platform to the US.

Stephen Miron, Global’s group CEO, said: “We launched DAX in the UK in 2014 to offer advertisers a simple way to reach the growing number of people consuming digital audio. In the past three years, demand from advertisers has intensified as the audience has grown and we’ve continued to innovate to keep DAX ahead of the market. A natural next step for us was to take DAX to the US. AudioHQ is a very impressive business with strong client and publisher relationships and a really great team. DAX has revolutionised the digital audio advertising market in the UK, and we’re confident it will be a huge success in the US. For Global, this acquisition is a significant milestone as we enter the US advertising market.”

In Europe, Global is opening offices in France and Germany from November. DAX will now operate from new locations in Paris and Hamburg, led by David Cooper, Global’s head of DAX sales (EU).

See the full release here.