T-Mobile’s Marketing Solutions team announced the acquisition of Octopus Interactive, a rideshare-focused advertising startup that provides advertisers with a medium to reach an audience through entertainment. With T-Mobile’s aspirations to be a multibillion-dollar player in the ad tech business by optimizing first-party data. However, Apple’s iOS 14 privacy changes are slowing down the process.  

Meanwhile, Octopus Interactive opens new programmatic channels like video and digital out-of-home (DOOH) for the telco company. Currently, T-Mobile is focused on QR codes for users to scan and install apps or claim promos, along with other app installations and performance metrics. The use of Octopus Interactive in rideshare vehicles will increase customers for the wireless provider. In the future T-Mobile will work towards consolidating its mobile user data with Octopus Interactive data and will now begin to slowly transition into TV and ad sales with the addition of video.