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NetRatings bought Jupiter Media Metrix at a bargain price
NetRatings bought Jupiter Media Metrix at a bargain priceBy Stefano Monachesi NetRatings is on a shopping spree: the internet research company has acquired its competitor Jupiter Media Metrix (JMM) at a bargain price.
NetRatings only had to put 71.2 million dollars on the table to buy the shares of JMM. Although this amount is 200 percent higher than JMM's current share price, it can still be considered a bargain price. JMM had a turnover of 142.8 million dollars last year and landed a much more expensive fish last year: Media Metrix bought Jupiter Communications for 414 million dollars in June 2000.
ACNielsen eRatings.com is now also fully owned by NetRatings. The Internet usage research company was previously run as a joint venture between NetRatings and ACNielsen.
There is still uncertainty about the two Swiss panels
It is not yet clear how the market will be redivided. For the time being, there are two different Internet panels internationally. In Switzerland, the panels are run by ACNielsen eRatings and MMXI Switzerland, which is 80% owned by IHA GfM and 20% by JMM.
However, this will change in the foreseeable future. To whose benefit, however, is still uncertain. NetRatings CEO Dave Toth: "NetRatings first wants to evaluate the various panels and survey customers before making a decision." MMXI Managing Director Urs Wolfensberger said: "In the long term, it certainly doesn't make sense to operate two panels in Switzerland." He assumes that the MMXI panel will be continued.
This is supported by both the market situation and the quality of the measurement software. MMXI has also concluded long-term contracts with customers. These arguments could also be supported by the international sales figures: NetRatings only achieved a turnover of just 20.4 million dollars last year.
And Fiona Holdsworth, Head of Communications at ACNielsen eRatings.com, revealed - without saying much - at least the trends: "The merger allows us to offer an improved service thanks to Jupiter's research and NetRatings' measurement and analysis."
NetRatings only had to put 71.2 million dollars on the table to buy the shares of JMM. Although this amount is 200 percent higher than JMM's current share price, it can still be considered a bargain price. JMM had a turnover of 142.8 million dollars last year and landed a much more expensive fish last year: Media Metrix bought Jupiter Communications for 414 million dollars in June 2000.
ACNielsen eRatings.com is now also fully owned by NetRatings. The Internet usage research company was previously run as a joint venture between NetRatings and ACNielsen.
There is still uncertainty about the two Swiss panels
It is not yet clear how the market will be redivided. For the time being, there are two different Internet panels internationally. In Switzerland, the panels are run by ACNielsen eRatings and MMXI Switzerland, which is 80% owned by IHA GfM and 20% by JMM.
However, this will change in the foreseeable future. To whose benefit, however, is still uncertain. NetRatings CEO Dave Toth: "NetRatings first wants to evaluate the various panels and survey customers before making a decision." MMXI Managing Director Urs Wolfensberger said: "In the long term, it certainly doesn't make sense to operate two panels in Switzerland." He assumes that the MMXI panel will be continued.
This is supported by both the market situation and the quality of the measurement software. MMXI has also concluded long-term contracts with customers. These arguments could also be supported by the international sales figures: NetRatings only achieved a turnover of just 20.4 million dollars last year.
And Fiona Holdsworth, Head of Communications at ACNielsen eRatings.com, revealed - without saying much - at least the trends: "The merger allows us to offer an improved service thanks to Jupiter's research and NetRatings' measurement and analysis."
