Howl, the commerce platform that connects creators and publishers to retailers, sold its creator division to Connexity in August. Connexity is the commerce arm of Taboola, and the deal quietly pares back a business Howl had spent years prioritizing.
Representatives for both companies confirmed the sale to ADWEEK. Financial terms were not disclosed. One source said the price was not large enough to require Taboola to flag it in quarterly earnings as a publicly traded company.
From publisher affiliate network to creator commerce
Howl launched in 2017 as Narrativ, originally built to power publishers’ affiliate businesses. It makes money by taking a cut of the affiliate transactions it facilitates. In 2022, the company rebranded to Howl and leaned into social commerce and creators.
That makes the Connexity deal a strategic reversal. By selling the creator unit, Howl is letting go of the very part of the business it had moved to center stage.
Founder Li Haslett Chen framed the move positively, saying the team is excited that Connexity will keep growing Howl as a creator commerce platform in tech, gaming, and collectibles.
Payments are the real story
Behind the asset sale is a familiar problem: late and delayed payouts. ADWEEK reports that Howl is again facing accusations of slow or missing payments to publishers and creators. Three publishers raised concerns, and two said they are owed money. One publisher put the outstanding figure at roughly $60,000.
This is not the first time. In 2023, Howl fell behind on publisher payments by millions. Overdue invoices stretched back as far as eight months and ranged from $20,000 to $900,000. One publishing executive said they finally got paid more than a year later. Another said Howl described resolving balances and fixing its payment system as the top priority tied to the acquisition.
Connexity has since paid off balances owed to creators, according to a person familiar with the situation. In an August email to creators, Connexity wrote: “We know payments have been a pain point, and fixing that is priority number one.”
What Connexity gets
The acquired creator business will supplement ShopYourLikes, Connexity’s own creator affiliate operation. Following the deal, ShopYourLikes is reportedly reaching out to brands that had been working with Howl on the creator side.
For Taboola, the move deepens its commerce footprint. For brands and creators, it signals more consolidation in the creator affiliate space, where distribution matters but payment reliability is what keeps partners sticky.
Action plan for affiliate and creator teams
Whether you are a publisher, creator, or brand, this deal is a reminder to treat payout health as a core operating metric. Here is where to focus:
- Audit payment terms before you scale. Check frequency, minimum thresholds, and clawback windows.
- Track aging receivables weekly. A platform that falls behind once can do it again.
- Diversify revenue sources. Do not let one network or creator platform control your cash flow.
- Ask post-acquisition questions. Find out who pays you now and what changes under the new owner.
Howl says it is continuing to operate while it evaluates what is next. Chen hinted at future innovation with big platforms as AI-native commerce develops. Until that next chapter takes shape, the immediate lesson is simple: creator commerce is growing fast, but payment trust is the real moat.
Source: Adweek
