WPP and Nielsen swap assets to complete TNS acquisition

Global - WPP and The Nielsen Company have signed a definitive agreement to swap certain assets so that WPP can complete its acquisition of market research firm Taylor Nelson Sofres.

Under the agreement, Nielsen will own 100% of AGBNielsen Media Research by acquiring the 50% currently held by WPP. Nielsen's media product portfolio will now include AGBNMR, Nielsen's North American television measurement business and Nielsen's media measurement businesses in online, mobile, advertising and radio measurement.

In return Nielsen will transfer to WPP its media rates and data company SRDS and PERQ/HCI, which provides a range of services to give insights into media planning, trading and post campaign effectiveness in the field of healthcare, as well as an 11% share in three units of the IBOPE Group. The Latin American multinational firm, in which WPP already holds a 31% stake, is based in Brazil and specialises in media, market and opinion research.

These assets will be added to The Kantar Group, WPP's information, insight and consultancy division.

The transaction is expected to close by the end of the year due to a regulatory need for WPP to dispose of either its AGBNMR stake or TNS's European television audience measurement business.

David Calhoun (pictured), chairman and CEO for Nielsen, said in an increasingly digital world it is essential for Nielsen to strengthen its global market position.

"As a fully integrated part of our company, AGBNMR will be an important part of our portfolio and better positioned to offer high quality measurement for its clients," he said.

Calhoun is confident that their AGBNMR colleagues and their clients will be an important asset to The Nielsen Company and look forward to working with them more closely. He added that at the same time, they appreciate the value that SRDS and PERC/HCI have created for Nielsen and they are confident their colleagues in those businesses will continue to deliver important insights for clients as part of the Kantar Group.

Eric Salama, CEO for Kantar, said: "The decision to dispose of our 50% stake in AGBNielsen Media Research was a difficult one. However, the strength and breadth of the TNS offer and the quality of the management team provide us with a unique opportunity to develop Kantar Group's integrated media measurement and insight capability, in which we and our clients believe so strongly."