Third Screen Media is a technology company.
Third Screen Media has raised $8.0M across 2 funding rounds.
Third Screen Media has raised $8.0M in total across 2 funding rounds.
Third Screen Media has raised $8.0M in total across 2 funding rounds.
Third Screen Media's investors include Refinery Ventures.
Third Screen Media is a U.S.-based mobile advertising company (a mobile ad network) best known for serving ads to mobile sites and devices; it was acquired by AOL in May 2007[1][3].
High‑Level Overview
Third Screen Media is a mobile-ad network and advertising technology company that built inventory and delivery systems to place display and text ads on mobile content and publisher sites, monetizing mobile audiences for advertisers and publishers[3][4]. It operated as one of the earlier and larger U.S. mobile ad networks, aggregating publisher placements (news, weather, local sites) and offering advertisers targeted mobile reach[3][4]. The company’s acquisition by AOL in 2007 positioned it as part of a larger digital advertising stack[1].
Origin Story
Third Screen Media emerged in the early era of mobile internet advertising, gaining attention for serving mobile ads across a portfolio of publisher sites including news and weather properties[3]. By 2007 it was operating a network covering many mobile publisher sites and was notable enough to be acquired by AOL on May 14, 2007[1][3]. (Public background detail such as specific founders or exact founding year are not detailed in the cited sources.)[1][3]
Core Differentiators
Role in the Broader Tech Landscape
Third Screen Media rode the shift of user attention to mobile devices and the corresponding need for dedicated mobile ad solutions; its timing mattered because the mid‑2000s saw rapid growth in mobile data use and mobile content consumption, creating demand for mobile monetization solutions[6][3]. As an early mobile ad network, it helped normalize advertising formats and inventory aggregation for publishers and informed how larger digital-ad players (like AOL) integrated mobile into their offerings[1][3][6].
Quick Take & Future Outlook
As of the cited material, Third Screen Media’s most significant move was its 2007 acquisition by AOL, after which its technology and publisher relationships were folded into a larger advertising business[1]. For legacy players like Third Screen Media, the key trends that would have continued to shape their relevance include the rise of programmatic mobile buying, smartphone proliferation, and cross‑device measurement; companies in this lineage needed to evolve from simple network models to programmatic and data‑driven platforms to remain competitive[3][4][6]. Given the limited public details in the cited sources about post‑acquisition product strategy, further contemporary status would require more recent sources than those provided here[1][3].
If you want, I can search for more recent coverage or corporate filings to detail what happened to Third Screen Media’s technology and team after the AOL acquisition.
Third Screen Media has raised $8.0M across 2 funding rounds. Most recently, it raised $5.0M Series B in February 2006.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 1, 2006 | $5.0M Series B | Refinery Ventures | |
| Jul 1, 2005 | $3.0M Series A | Refinery Ventures |