WPP and Nielsen agree to swap assets

WPP has signed a definitive agreement to swap certain assets with The Nielsen Company, which will allow the group to complete its £1.1 billion takeover of Taylor Nelson Sofres (TNS).

The deal will see WPP give up its 50% stake in Nielsen, which will mean Nielsen will now own 100% of the international television audience measurement business AGBNielsen Media Research.

WPP had to dispose of its stake in AGBNielsen in order to satisfy regulatory requirements, after acquiring TNS last month (see WPP Takeover Of TNS Expected To Be Confirmed Today).

TNS won BARB’s UK TV audience research contract from AGBNielsen last year, to begin from 2010 (see BARB Awards Four Six-Year Research Contracts).

In return for WPP’s share, Nielsen will transfer three assets to WPP – SRDS, a provider of media rates and data, PERQ/HCI, the healthcare media planning service and its 11% share in parts of the media, market and opinion research company, IBOPE Group.

WPP already owns a 31% stake in IBOPE.

WPP: 020 7408 2204 www.wpp.com AGB: www.agbnielsen.co.uk