VideoAmp Buys TV Viewing Data Firm IronGrid

TV software and data platform VideoAmp has acquired IronGrid Data Services (IDS), which provides anonymized television viewing data covering more than eight million US households. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Boston, MA-based IDS provides access to anonymized and privacy-compliant TV viewing data from multichannel video programming distributors (MVPDs) and connected TV providers. VideoAmp, which last year raised $21.4m in a Series B funding round, says the acquisition further strengthens its planning and measurement software solutions by bolstering and differentiating the foundation of the TV viewing data sets with both set-top box (STB) and smart TV data sets. It also adds carrier relationships including with four of the nation's leading MVPDs, as well as deep expertise in TV audience data processing, audience modeling and predictive analytics.

As a follow-on from the deal, VideoAmp has launched a Data & Emerging Products division, to understand how television viewing across all screens impacts business outcomes. This new division offers STB and automated content recognition (ACR) data processing; custom audience segments for planning, targeting and measurement; and aggregated TV viewing data. VideoAmp's Nick Chakalos has been named SVP and General Manager of the new division, reporting to co-founder and CEO Ross McCray (pictured); while IronGrid's President and co-founder Randy Laughlin has been named VP, TV Data Partnerships.

McCray comments on the deal: 'Acquiring IronGrid is a major, strategic step forward in our mission to unify linear TV and digital video advertising. From targeted, index-based advertising to programmatic insertion or true cross-screen measurement and attribution, the need for clean, reliable, household-level TV viewership data has never been higher. We are pleased to meet those needs for the ecosystem'.

Web sites: www.videoamp.com and www.irongriddata.com .