Walmart Expands Advertising Platform to New Brands
Marketplace sellers should expect increased ad costs as Walmart integrates streaming data into its advertising platform.
Updated on Oct. 21, 2026 in Advertising
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Walmart has expanded its advertising reach by opening its platform to non-endemic brands and integrating Sam's Club into its technical infrastructure. This growth follows the recent acquisition of Vibe.co and Vizio, leveraging data from 150 million weekly customers.
Why it matters
By opening ad inventory to companies that do not sell products on its site, Walmart is diversifying revenue streams and increasing competitive pressure on digital ad markets. Marketplace sellers are now allocating up to 12% of their gross merchandise value to these advertising slots to secure visibility.
Walmart global advertising revenue grew 46 percent to nearly $6.4 billion for the fiscal year ended January 2026. During the quarter ended July 31, 2026, U.S. advertising revenue grew 43 percent as the company continues to scale its reach across owned digital properties.
The players
Walmart
A multinational retail corporation that serves 150 million weekly customers through massive physical and digital platforms.
Vizio
A consumer electronics manufacturer and smart TV software provider acquired by Walmart to expand connected TV advertising.
Vibe.co
A streaming advertising platform acquired by Walmart to facilitate automated ad buying across television and digital video.
Sam's Club
A membership-based retail warehouse subsidiary that is currently integrating its advertising infrastructure with Walmart U.S.
The details
Walmart now sells advertising inventory across its website, the WatchFree+ streaming service, and Vizio smart TV operating systems. The company is actively integrating these disparate platforms into a unified technology stack. Marketplace sellers typically spend between 10% and 12% of gross merchandise value on these ads, while traditional suppliers spend between 4% and 6%.
Timeline
December 2024: Walmart completed its purchase of Vizio.
January 2026: Walmart concluded its fiscal year.
July 31, 2026: The fiscal quarter ended with 43 percent U.S. advertising growth.
August 4, 2026: Walmart closed the acquisition of Vibe.co.
August 20, 2026: Walmart conducted an earnings call.
Market Landscape
Walmart’s aggressive expansion mirrors the broader industry shift toward retail media networks, a documented trend of retailers leveraging proprietary shopper data to build advertising businesses. This move positions Walmart to capture ad budgets from non-endemic brands previously reserved for pure-play digital platforms.
Marketplace sellers should prepare for higher acquisition costs as ad spend now accounts for up to 12% of gross merchandise value. Operators should monitor their return on ad spend (ROAS) closely as Walmart integrates Vizio and Vibe.co data into its primary platform targeting.
The takeaway
Walmart is signaling a shift toward acting as a full-funnel digital advertising platform rather than just a retail channel. Operators should track the evolving cost of ad placement within the platform as the integration of streaming and smart TV data increases the complexity of ad targeting.
Further reading
For more on the shifting dynamics of digital marketing, visit the Advertising section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The Herald.
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