Nielsen Reaches Deal for IAG Acquisition

NEW YORK, April 8: The
Nielsen Company has signed a definitive agreement to acquire IAG Research,
which measures consumer engagement with television programs, national
commercials and product placements, for $225 million.

The acquisition will be
effected through a merger of IAG with a wholly owned subsidiary of Nielsen. IAG
stockholders will receive cash for their shares. The deal is expected to close
in the second quarter, with IAG’s executive team set to join Nielsen after the
merger is completed.

IAG Research conducts
research with viewers to measure the effectiveness of advertising and program
engagement across television and the Internet. Its clients include major
advertisers, advertising agencies, Internet providers, telecommunications
services, television and cable networks and other content providers.

“IAG will add a new
dimension to Nielsen’s media business and will be the cornerstone for a new
analytics practice that will provide our clients with even greater insights and
clarity,” said David L. Calhoun, the chairman and CEO of The Nielsen Company.
“We are excited by the energy the IAG team will bring to the multiple
opportunities they will have at Nielsen. Overlaying their perspective with the
vast array of industries and technologies we touch gives us an opportunity to
bring greater clarity and creativity to our work on behalf of clients.”

IAG co-founders and
co-CEOs, Alan Gould and Ken Orkin, added: “By working within Nielsen we will
also be able to make the company’s services available to a wider base of
clients. In an increasingly fragmented media landscape, we believe strongly
that advertisers and media companies need the insight that Nielsen and IAG can
provide together.”

—By Mansha Daswani