OpenX is exploring a sale

Hi and welcome to Insider Advertising for June 1. I’m deputy editor Lucia Moses, filling in for Lauren Johnson, and here’s what’s going on:

• OpenX explores a sale.
• Who’ll run Discovery-WarnerMedia.
• Fastest-growing DTC brands.

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Tips, comments, suggestions? Drop me a line at lmoses@insider.com or on Twitter at @lmoses.

Adtech company OpenX is exploring a possible sale, sources say

• The supply-side ad platform is exploring a potential sale, sources told Lara O’Reilly.
• Founded in 2008, the company has raised more than $70 million but hit hard times in the pandemic.
• A sale would add to the flurry of recent deal activity in adtech.

Read the story.

Insiders are speculating about the future of all these key execs at Discovery-WarnerMedia

• Talk is turning to the question of who will help run the planned Discovery-WarnerMedia venture, Claire Atkinson and Ashley Rodriguez report.
• Future head David Zaslav is expected to favor top movie and TV talent with strong Hollywood ties.
• Insiders are speculating about what that means for WarnerMedia execs like Ann Sarnoff and Toby Emmerich.

Read the story.

Here are the 12 fastest-growing food DTC brands, according to SimilarWeb traffic data for January to April

• Many direct-to-consumer food brands got a boost from the pandemic as consumers ate more at home.
• SimilarWeb tracked the 12 fastest-growing DTC food brands from January through April, according to monthly traffic growth.
• They include companies like Lettuce Grow that sells at-home planters and alcohol-free craft beer brewer Athletic Brewing.

Read the story.

Other stories we’re reading:

• Will new media revive old labor concerns amid streaming-era issues? (THR)
• Age gaps in relationships are facing increased scrutiny even when between consenting adults (Insider)
• Korea’s CJ ENM to spend $4.4 billion on content as it seeks global role (Variety)
• Fox News intensifies its pro-Trump politics as dissenters depart (NYT)
• Caspar Lee was one of the original YouTube stars but suddenly stopped posting videos in 2019. For the first time, he explains why he quit amid intensifying competition and his pivot to entrepreneurship. (Insider)

Thanks for reading and see you tomorrow. You can reach me in the meantime at lmoses@insider.com and subscribe to this daily email here.