TiVo Inc. Acquires Advertising Analysis Co. TRA

TiVo Inc. (NASDAQ: TIVO), a leader in the advanced television entertainment market, today announced that it has agreed to acquire TRA, Inc., maker of the first and leading platform with the world's largest database that directly links information from the same households as to what viewers watch with what they buy. TRA matches television exposures from 1.5 million TV homes with specific purchase transactions. The acquisition is expected to create a powerful combination of insights that will offer the TV advertising industry Internet-level measurement and accountability accelerating TiVo's position in the billion dollar television analytics business. The unit will be known as TiVo Research and Analytics (TRA). The consummation of the acquisition of TRA is subject to customary closing conditions.

Tom Rogers, CEO and President of TiVo said, "TV has long been the best medium for advertisers to influence what consumers buy. TRA has proven its platform can determine the effectiveness of TV advertising by connecting the exposure of ads to actual purchases, helping advertisers identify the right audience and get the most out of their ad dollars. TRA has driven a substantial client list of advertisers, agencies and networks with this proposition. With this new level of unique audience insights and analytics, TiVo will be able to provide insights nobody else has in an industry increasingly seeking alternative ways to measure audience behavior accurately while increasing efficiencies in media spending."

Mark Lieberman, Chairman and CEO of TRA, stated, "TiVo has been a valued investor and data partner of TRA for several years, making this combination a natural next step for TRA. TiVo understands that the existing measurement tools, which haven't kept up with advances in technology, just don't get the job done. We share TiVo's vision and prescription for the future of measurement and are eager to continue providing world class solutions to the industry."

"As an industry, we need to keep moving forward on targeting and effectiveness. Starcom MediaVest Group has partnered with TRA for over three years to deliver in both these regards and bring our clients the most efficient and effective television investment possible. We look forward to the potential of an even bigger impact through the powerful combination of TiVo and TRA," comments Laura Desmond, Global CEO of Starcom Mediavest Group.

"At CBS, we have used the TRA Media TRAnalytics® platform since its inception as the solution to demonstrate increased accountability in television. We are pleased to see these two leading innovators come together to continue their efforts to connect viewing with purchases and prove the ROI of television," said David Poltrack, Chief Research Officer of CBS Corp.

TRA has more than 45 brand clients and 27 network clients including CBS, A&E Television Networks, ION Media, Procter & Gamble, Oscar Mayer and Starcom MediaVest Group, among others.

TiVo will pay approximately $20 million for TRA. TiVo expects the transaction to close this month. TRA's revenue is on track to increase significantly in 2012. TiVo expects the transaction will be accretive to Adjusted EBITDA* in its next fiscal year if planned synergies are realized.

* TiVo's "EBITDA" means income before interest income and expense, provision for income taxes and depreciation and amortization. TiVo's "Adjusted EBITDA" is EBITDA less expense for stock-based compensation. EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA are not measures of financial performance under generally accepted accounting principles, or GAAP.

To post a comment, you must register and login.