Yahoo To Close Down Right Media Exchange

After folding in Right Media into Yahoo Ad Exchange last year, the company is reportedly sealing off the vestiges of the Right Media Exchange to third parties.

AdExchanger reports that sources have told them that “Yahoo is finally shutting down the exchange for all non-Yahoo owned and operated networks and publishers.”

Lack of attention and investment by Yahoo in Right Media Exchange led to the dimming of what was once a pioneering enterprise. Yahoo acquired Right Media in 2007 give it display ad reach beyond its own network of sites. The AdExchanger article has a good rundown of the history of the Right Media Exchange’s decline over the years. Shutting it off means Yahoo’s focus will be on Yahoo Ad Exchange and the types of premium inventory that Marissa Mayer has made a priority.

The article goes on to surmise that Flurry will be filling in.

“Word is, Flurry will replace that stack and it’s about time,” an industry source told AdExchanger, noting that RMX “has been a swamp” and that ROI was not “justifiable.”

Yahoo acquired Flurry, a mobile ad network and app analytics platform in July 2014. In December, Yahoo added access to Flurry’s mobile video inventory through its premium ad buying tool, Yahoo Ad Manager Plus. Earlier this week, The Information reported that Flurry’s inventory may be bundled across the Yahoo Network and sold through the company’s mobile and native ad marketplace, Gemini.

Yahoo provided this statement to AdExchanger:

“Yahoo is progressing the Yahoo Ad Exchange to more properly reflect its place in our business strategy. Yahoo Ad Exchange will continue to be home to display inventory for Yahoo sites and other hand-selected premium sites. We will continue to buy display inventory on behalf of our advertisers, using Yahoo programmatic buying tools connected to other marketplaces.”