Antitrust Law Daily Wrap Up, ANTITRUST NEWS: Sale of Nielsen’s LinkMeter to comScore approved by FTC, (Apr 3, 2014)
Organizations Mentioned:Arbitron, Inc. | Nielsen Holdings, N.V., Nielsen Audio, Inc., Arbitron, Inc., comScore, Inc.
By Edward L. Puzzo, J.D.
The FTC has approved the sale of the LinkMeter cross-platform audience measurement services by Nielsen Holdings, N.V. and Nielsen Audio, Inc. to comScore, Inc., as part of a divesture required due to Nielsen’s acquisition of Arbitron, Inc., the FTC has announced (In the Matter of Nielsen Holdings, NV; FTC File No. 131 0058).
At the time of the acquisition, Nielsen and Arbitron were both developing national syndicated cross-platform audience measurement services, which allow audiences to be measured accurately across multiple viewing platforms, such as television and online. The FTC had complained that the elimination of future competition between Nielsen and Arbitron in this market would increase the likelihood that Nielsen would exercise market power and likely cause advertisers, ad agencies, and programmers to pay more for national syndicated cross-platform audience measurement services. The FTC therefore required divestiture of LinkMeter by Nielsen.
Companies: Nielsen Holdings, N.V., Nielsen Audio, Inc., Arbitron, Inc., comScore, Inc.
News: Antitrust FederalTradeCommissionNews