MUMBAI: Micro-blogging platform Twitter has acquired leading social TV analytics company Bluefin Labs that provides data products to brand advertisers, agencies, and TV networks.

Bluefin Labs started out as an academic pursuit in cross-modal machine learning that Mike and Deb brought out of the MIT Media Lab. It has worked with companies like P&G and PepsiCo, and TV networks such as CBS, Turner Broadcasting, Fox Broadcasting, and Discovery Communications.

"We believe that Bluefin‘s data science capabilities and social TV expertise will help us create innovative new ad products and consumer experiences in the exciting intersection of Twitter and TV," Twitter COO Ali Rowghani.

Rowghani said the acquisition reflects Twitter‘s commitment to the social TV market, and builds on the exclusive partnership with Nielsen to create Nielsen Twitter TV Rating.

"We intend to honor existing Bluefin customer contracts, but we will not continue to sell Bluefin‘s product suite beyond the existing contracts. We plan to collaborate closely with Nielsen and SocialGuide on product development and research to help brands, agencies, and networks fully understand the combined value of Twitter and TV," Rowghani assured.

Founded in 2008, Bluefin also measures whether people online are making favorable or unfavorable comments.