MUMBAI: In a significant move, Kantar Media, a 50 per cent owner of TAM, has agreed to acquire the audio watermarking unit of Civolution, the technology, which Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) is going to use for its proposed audience measurement system.

 
The acquisition will strengthen the firm’s audience measurement technologies and opening up new and exciting opportunities around second screen activation. The acquisition, expected to be completed by the end of 2014, will build on Kantar Media’s significant global presence and activities in digital audience measurement across all media in 60+ countries.

“We have long admired the expertise and skills of Jean-Michel and his team,” commented Kantar Media Audiences global CEO Richard Asquith and added, “In joining Kantar Media they will strengthen our suite of technology to measure audiences for content across all devices in all formats. Broadcasters, agencies and advertisers can track viewing to their content across TV, tablet and mobile screens, and benefit from our ability to deliver accurate audience measurement as the media ecosystem continues to evolve.”

The watermarking unit, led by Jean-Michel Masson, is recognised as a world leader in audio watermarking technology deployed in hundreds of broadcast channels across the world. Kantar Media already uses watermarking technology in a number of its TV, radio and internet audience measurement services. In addition to this, Kantar Media’s ability to link second screens to TV content will also be strengthened through SyncNow, already widely used by many of the leading broadcasters.

Further, Masson commented, “We are excited at the prospect of becoming part of Kantar Media. We already enjoy a successful history of co-operation with the business and look forward to working with broadcasters, agencies, industry bodies and the wider market across Kantar Media’s measurement footprint."

The team will continue to be based in Rennes, France.