After weeks of haggling, the private equity consortium including Elliott Management and Brookfield Asset Management has agreed to acquire TV ratings company Nielsen for an estimated $16bn. The deal values the business at $28 a share – a 26% premium to Monday’s closing price. It may still be subject to a higher alternative bid.
The 99-year-old Nielsen has struggled to retain its dominance as an information service for buyers of advertising, not least with the growth of streaming audiences. But industry observers see a market opportunity to offer more sophisticated audience data about streaming services. Nielsen’s new product, Nielsen ONE, which cuts across network TV and streaming media, is being touted as a possible area of new growth.
