Kantar Media Agrees Sale to Investor H.I.G.

London-based alternative investment firm H.I.G. Capital will pay around $1 billion to acquire 100% of Kantar Media, the audience measurement firm announced today. The firms say they expect the deal to close later this year.

Early in December Sky News reported that H.I.G. had submitted a 'serious and credible' offer for the video audience measurement company, and that it was the only firm to have done so after Ipsos withdrew from talks and interest from Cinven and Triton Partners did not result in a bid. The division is home to the veteran consumer tracker TGI and conducts broadcast audience measurement in 62 countries, including the UK. At the group level, Kantar is currently owned 60% by Bain Capital and 40% by WPP, and the Media division represents around one sixth of Kantar Group in both staff and revenue terms.

In a statement Kantar Media said the deal would mark the beginning of 'an exciting phase of growth and innovation'. Kantar Media CEO Patrick Béhar (pictured) will remain at the head of the business, and comments: 'Over a year ago, I joined Kantar Media from Sky to accelerate the transformation of Kantar Media into an agile, technology-centric company, shaping the measurement industry through advanced cross-media solutions. This transaction would give us the resources and support to further accelerate our growth trajectory and strengthen our position as the global leader in media measurement and analytics. With H.I.G.'s expertise in scaling businesses and driving performance, we are more confident than ever in our ability to deliver innovative, data-driven solutions that meet the evolving needs of our growing client base all over the globe'.

Wishing Béhar and his team the very best for the future, Kantar CEO Chris Jansen said the group set up Kantar Media to be operationally independent in 2023, adding: 'Following the proposed sale, Kantar will be even more focused on helping both global and local brands to grow through a unique combination of IP, data assets, and increasing the rapid deployment of AI. Kantar remains the world's leading data and marketing analytics company'.

Nishant Nayyar, Managing Director at H.I.G. Capital states: 'We are excited to partner with Patrick and his talented team. Kantar Media has a long-standing reputation for delivering essential data and trusted insights to the global media industry. We are confident that as an independent business under the leadership of Patrick, the company will continue to thrive and lead the way in media measurement and analytics innovation'.

The deal is subject to customary legal and regulatory requirements, completion of information and consultation processes with employee representatives. The payment is expected to be mostly cash, along with non-cash consideration and an earnout.

The division's online home is at www.kantarmedia.com .