Arbitron Buys Measurecast Name, Technology

Remember when “bricks and mortar” companies worried about being put out of business by online competitors? Chalk one up for bricks and mortar.
Arbitron says it has acquired a license to the streaming audio audience measurement system and related assets of Measurecast. In doing so, it removes a major obstacle in its effort to become as dominant in measuring streaming as it is in radio. Terms were not disclosed.
Measurecast was founded in Portland in 1999 at the height of the dot-com boom. It sought to market audience measurement services for online broadcasters and advertisers. Arbitron subsequently came out with online measurements of its own, so the two were chasing the same business.
The deal lets Arbitron market the Measurecast measurement system. Arbitron gets the Measurecast trademark “and other assets necessary to produce and maintain a streaming audience measurement service.”
Measurecast stays in business under a different name, yet to be announced. It said it will continue to develop technologies for its strategic partners, including Nielsen Media Research, NetRatings and Trans Cosmos Inc., but gave no details.
Arbitron will publish weekly and monthly Webcast audience estimates under the name Arbitron’s Measurecast Ratings.