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Nielsen on Tuesday announced that it has completed its acquisition of Connecticut-based broadcast analysis firm Repucom for an undisclosed amount. Nielsen and Repucom held a global town hall from Stamford on Monday morning, notifying employees of the acquisition. Reps from the two entities also were on site at 10 of Repucom’s global offices, and Nielsen Entertainment President Howard Applebaum will spend much of the next several months on a “world tour,” visiting each of the Repucom locations. Repucom in a few months will be rebranded Nielsen Sports.
Applebaum: “This is about revenue growth, not about cutting cost. The current Nielsen Sports business is growing substantially. The Repucom business is growing very, very nicely. So this is about doubling down on growing the sports business.” Applebaum said that while the property side still represents the majority of the revenue for Nielsen Sports, the brand side is what is picking up steam. Globally, he said, brand spend on sports sponsorship has almost doubled since ‘10, growing from $35B to a projected $60B this year.
Repucom CEO Paul Smith is stepping down from his role and will become senior advisor, where he will be responsible for strategy and initiatives related to Nielsen’s sports clients and business integration. Nielsen also will be making some leadership changes that will be announced in the coming weeks.
