Kantar Media Buys 'Social TV' Firm The Data Republic

Audience measurement specialist Kantar Media has acquired Barcelona-based TV and social media analytics agency The Data Republic. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Founded in 2011, The Data Republic has developed a proprietary platform and suite of tools for monitoring and analysing real-time data across social media. In 2012, the company launched Tuitele; a set of tools to enable the Spanish TV networks and advertisers to monitor social media conversations around TV shows and commercials, as well as to plan and measure advertising effectiveness.

Co-founder Carlos Sanchez (pictured) comments: 'We have long admired Kantar Media's global success and audience measurement expertise, and look forward to growing and enriching our combined audience research expertise even further for the benefit of the media industry.'

News of the acquisition follows the enhanced partnership between Kantar and Twitter announced on Monday, expanding Kantar Media's social TV planning and analytics from the UK and Spain, to include the Nordics, Russia, and parts of Africa and SE Asia.

Web sites: www.wpp.com , www.kantarmedia.com , www.thedatarepublic.com and www.tuitele.tv .