Leader in audience measurement, Nielsen, has acquired the industry’s premier provider of media and entertainment metadata, Gracenote.
Nielsen has inked a Tribune Media Company deal to purchase Gracenote, a provider of media and entertainment metadata. It will acquire both the data and technology that underpins the programming guides and personalised user experience for major video, music, audio, and sports content.
The strategic takeover widens the research giant’s footprint through a global content database that spans across platforms including multichannel video programming distributors, smart televisions, streaming music services, connected devices, media players, and in-car infotainment systems.
The expansive network provides reference information for more than 12 million movie and television listings and 200 million music tracks, whilst driving the interfaces of the major streaming digital media services as well as the connected technology systems in more than 75 million automobiles.
It is the industry standard for automatic content recognition technology, powering discovery and recommendation engines used by television, music, and automotive companies. Nielsen can offer deeper analytics on consumer behaviour and an unprecedented view of audience engagement.
Gracenote’s intelligent metadata will meet the needs of clients in an addressable world where marketers target customers and optimise campaigns in real time. The inclusion of the data will also allow media companies to optimise their content for specific audiences.
In addition, the brand’s long-term client relationships across TV, audio, sports and auto will be further amplified through global reach and position as the leader in audience measurement and intelligence. The transaction is expected to close during the first quarter of 2017.
“Gracenote’s metadata and content recognition technology fuels the interfaces of major video, music and in-car infotainment systems. The acquisition provides a significant asset to measuring as well as understanding consumer behaviour,” said Karthik Rao, President, Expanded Verticals at Nielsen.
