NEW YORK, May 19, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Fluent, Inc. (NASDAQ: FLNT), a leader in commerce media, today announced an agreement to provide strategic digital advertising support for Backpack Media, the first-to-market education media network that connects brands to high-intent moments across the student journey. Under the agreement, Fluent will power commerce media monetization across Backpack Media’s digital properties, connecting brands with students at the moments that matter most, college entry, graduation, and first-apartment milestones, when needs are real, immediate, and actionable.
Backpack Media launched in March 2026 and gives brand partners efficient, scalable access to students actively navigating the college search, scholarship, and financial planning process, along with the parents influencing those decisions. Through its Education Services subsidiary, Sallie engages with approximately two-thirds of college-bound freshmen annually and maintains long-term relationships with millions of students throughout their higher education experience.
Fluent’s commerce media technology will be integrated into key moments across Sallie’s digital ecosystem. Fluent’s AI-powered campaign efficiency will replace static, manually managed placements, driving measurable performance uplift for both advertisers and the Backpack Media network.
“Backpack Media is building something genuinely differentiated as a media network with deep, trusted relationships across the student lifecycle and the first-party data to prove it. What makes this partnership especially compelling is that Fluent already powers commercialization across the college ecosystem working with campus commerce destinations like Barnes & Noble College, MBS Books and Jostens that students transact with every day. The advertiser demand we’ve built around that audience travels with us to Backpack Media, providing stronger fill, better yields, and a faster path to performance from day one,” said Tim Lukens, President of Commerce Media Solutions, Fluent.
“Brands don’t just want to know what students have purchased in the past. They want to know what students are going to purchase next. Our verified life-stage signals connect to high-intent moments, and also moments when students deserve to be connected to brands that can genuinely help them, not just serve them ads,” said Marco Steinsieck, Managing Vice President and Head of Advertising, Backpack Media. “We’re building a network where the right brand shows up at the right time, in a way that actually adds value to where a student is in their journey. Fluent understands that dynamic.”
About Fluent, Inc. Fluent, Inc. (NASDAQ: FLNT) is a commerce media solutions provider connecting top-tier brands with highly engaged consumers. Leveraging exclusive ad inventory, robust first-party data, privacy-first infrastructure, and proprietary machine learning, Fluent unlocks additional revenue streams for partners and empowers advertisers to acquire their most valuable customers at scale. Founded in 2010, Fluent uses its deep expertise in performance marketing to drive monetization and increase engagement at key touchpoints across the customer journey. For more insights, visit https://www.fluentco.com.
About Backpack Media Backpack Media is a media network built around the student journey. Powered by first party data, we give brands access to highly valuable audiences as they move from higher education into early adulthood and beyond. Backpack Media does not sell individual student or parent data. Backpack Media provides access to anonymized, aggregated audience segments for advertising purposes. Learn more at Sallie.com/backpack-media.
Forward-Looking Statements: This press release contains “forward-looking statements,” as that term is defined under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (PSLRA). Such statements include statements regarding the expected benefits of the partnership between Fluent and Backpack Media. Actual results may differ materially from those described in any forward-looking statements. Fluent undertakes no obligation to update or revise forward-looking statements except as required by law.
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