News Corp buys viral video company Unruly in $125m bid to extend its video reach

News Corp has continued to pursue its refocussed digital strategy by paying $125m for UK-based viral video outfit Unruly, as the publisher looks to improve its video advertising offering.

Unruly, which has an office in Sydney, was founded in London in 2006 and specialises in tracking and verifying audience reach for paid distribution of video content on mobile and desktop devices.

In Australia the company is set to work with News Corp subsidiary Fox Sports in a bid to help improve the shareability of its video content, as it looks to drive more paid subscriptions, whilst its ad platforms will be integrated into News Corp’s other products.

News Corp chief executive Robert Thompson described Unruly as a “feisty and creative company with a startup sensibility” adding in a statement: “Unruly complements our traditional editorial and commercial enterprise with contemporary insight into how people read, watch, buy and sell in the digital era.”