Walmart Is Teaming Up With Microsoft On A TikTok Deal

Walmart says it is teaming up with Microsoft, as reports suggest Microsoft could announce a TikTok deal in the coming days.

The headlines around TikTok are getting weirder by the day.

“The way TikTok has integrated e-commerce and advertising capabilities in other markets is a clear benefit to creators and users in those markets,” said a Walmart spokesperson in a statement to CNBC. “We believe a potential relationship with TikTok US in partnership with Microsoft could add this key functionality and provide Walmart with an important way for us to reach and serve omnichannel customers as well as grow our third-party marketplace and advertising businesses. We are confident that a Walmart and Microsoft partnership would meet both the expectations of US TikTok users while satisfying the concerns of US government regulators.”

While the news could seem strange at first, a partnership could totally make sense for Walmart. But what would be the impact of such a deal on other brands trying to develop a presence on the platform?

This would not be the first time Walmart and Microsoft partner up either. A couple of years ago, the companies teamed up to try and take on Amazon as part of deal that saw Walmart using Azure and Microsoft 365 across its business, alongside projects focused on machine learning and AI.

The future of TikTok remains uncertain. Just days ago the company announced it would sue the Trump administration. And today, its CEO, Kevin Mayer quit.