Kantar and comScore Strike Share / Partnership Deal

In a deal with some similarities to the recent US tie-in with Rentrak, WPP is to take a 15% to 20% stake in comScore through its Kantar data and insight arm, while comScore acquires a number of Kantar assets in Europe.

The move, which follows Kantar's $128m sale of its US TV audience measurement services in exchange for a stake in Rentrak, will combine the firms' products, technology, data assets, research panels and relationships in order to provide cross-media audience and campaign measurement capabilities.

comScore, which today reported another year of rapid revenue growth, will issue 4.45% in shares in exchange for both partnership benefits and the acquisition of European Internet audience measurement assets. WPP will also purchase up to a 15% share of comScore with an offer price of $46.13, giving the marketing services giant ownership of 15-20% of comScore in total.

comScore will also acquire the assets of Kantar's Internet audience measurement businesses in certain European markets, where the two companies say they will continue to provide the same level of integration and data services.

comScore CEO Serge Matta says the alliance will create new measurement services based on each company's offerings. Eric Salama, Kantar CEO, adds: 'By partnering with comScore and combining our respective strengths, we will integrate data and expertise to give our clients a new standard in measuring audiences and campaigns across multiple platforms.'

Web sites: www.wpp.com and www.comscore.com .