The Federal Trade Commission announced that it has no objections to market researcher and broadcast ratings company Nielsen Holdings acquiring fellow market researcher and radio ratings company Arbitron.
As part of the FTC approval Nielsen agreed to keep the Arbitron/ESPN cross-platform measurement project going and accessible to third-parties.
The initial acquisition was in December, 2012. Estimates of the cost are in the neighborhood of $1.3 billion.
In a release Nielsen CEO David Calhoun said, “We are looking forward to providing all of the benefits of the combined company to our new clients in the radio industry and their advertisers, driving incremental value for them as well as our shareholders.”
He added, “The area of cross-platform measurement is still in its early stages and its value is yet to be determined by the market. We at Nielsen look forward to pursuing the value of cross-platform services through our own unique offerings and expect that with our resources, our deep knowledge of video and our commitment to innovation, we will help the market ultimately define what cross-platform represents.”
FTC agreement details can be found here. There will be a Monday morning conference call.
