comScore and Rentrak Merger Edges Closer

Digital analytics firm comScore and multi-screen measurement firm Rentrak have scheduled shareholder meetings for January 28, 2016 in order to seek approval for their proposed merger.

If agreed, the deal will see comScore buy Rentrak in an all stock deal valued at around $732m, and the creation of a new giant in cross-platform measurement. comScore's digital audience and advertising solutions will be combined with Rentrak's census-based worldwide movie and video-on-demand measurement, and its passive TV measurement offerings, to provide a 'more complete' picture of the way people consume media.

According to a securities filing, Rentrak CEO Bill Livek will receive an almost $15m payout of cash and stock, and the firm's COO David Chemerow will receive $10.1m in restricted-stock grants and $1.4m in cash. Following completion of the acquisition, comScore CEO Serge Matta will lead the combined company, and Livek will serve as the company's Executive Vice Chairman & President. Mel Wesley will continue as the CFO, and Chermerow will serve as a strategic advisor to the CEO, focused on the integration of the two companies. The newly combined company's Board will consist of twelve directors - eight from comScore and four from Rentrak.

On January 28, shareholders of both companies will attend separate meetings in Reston, Virginia and Portland, Oregon to vote on the proposed merger. The merger agreement was previously unanimously approved by both Boards of Directors, who expect the deal to close promptly after shareholder approval, when the combined company is expected to trade under the comScore ticker symbol SCOR. Under the terms of the merger, comScore shareholders are expected to own approximately 66.5% and Rentrak shareholders are expected to own approximately 33.5% of the combined company.

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