Digest: T-Mobile Buys Blis; Google Urges US Gov Not to Force Breakup

Today's news digest looks at the latest industry acquisitions, Google urging the US Government not to force a breakup of its company, and Disney cutting jobs across its TV Networks.

T-Mobile Buys Blis; Applovin to Sell Gaming Unit?

T-Mobile has announced its acquisition of UK-based ad tech firm Blis, which provides location-based ad targeting, for USD$175m (£136m). Blis had reportedly been seeking a buyer since late last year. The announcement also confirms the completion of T-Mobile’s acquisition of Vistar Media, a leading provider of tech solutions for digital out-of-home advertising.  

On the topic of acquisitions, Applovin, which helps app developers make money through advertising, is also reportedly in talks to sell its gaming unit to mobile games specialist Tripledot Studios. The deal is said to be worth USD$900m (£702m). AppLovin now appears to be looking to focus solely on advertising; it recently made a move to court e-commerce advertisers. London-based Tripledot is currently valued at USD$1.4bn (£1m).  

Google Urges US Gov Not to Force Breakup

Google met with President Trump’s government and urged them not to push for a breakup of the company, reports Reuters. Talking of the matter, a Google spokesperson stated: "We routinely meet with regulators, including with the DOJ to discuss this case. As we've publicly said, we're concerned the current proposals would harm the American economy and national security.” The potential remedies which have been suggested to put an end to Google’s dominion over the sector include making the tech titan divest parts of the company and prohibiting its agreements with other tech giants which make it the default search engine on their devices. 

Disney Cuts Jobs Across TV Networks

An internal memo announced that Disney intends to eliminate around 200 jobs across its ABC and entertainment TV networks in an effort to further reduce annual costs. Most of the cuts will affect New York’s ABC News division. The company has eradicated more than 8,000 roles since 2023. This follows the company’s latest earnings statement revealing a revenue and profit drop in its broadcast and cable TV business.