I-Level manage several affiliate programmes including Next, Lovefilm, Orange and Brand Alley. It’s unknown what will happen to these programmes or their commissions to affiliates.

Reports suggest that Axel Springer wants to merge Tradedoubler with their online marketing firm Zanox which would generate yearly savings of 50 million Swedish Kronor (£4.45m).

Tradedoubler said Tuesday that neither its board of directors nor its management has been involved in any such bid talks. It’s understood that Axel Springer alongside it’s advisor JP Morgan has approached a number of the Tradedoubler owners.

Around three years ago, U.S.-based Time Warner Inc. (TWX) through its unit AOL placed a bid worth SEK6 billion for Tradedoubler which the Swedish company turned down, but its stock market value has since fallen to around SEK1.5 billion.

Many industry experts had expected the landscape to change this year however the market is racing with consolidation and administration.

This deal would leave Axel Springer owning the three largest networks in the UK, we wonder how long it will be before they start moving down the chain and buying the affiliates.

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