Kantar Group announces plans to sell Kantar Media

Marketing, data, and analytics firm Kantar Group has shared plans to sell Kantar Media to H.I.G Capital, a global alternative investment firm with 67 million dollars of capital under management.

The proposed sale indicates the start of a new phase for Kantar Media, centered on providing new insights to clients in the content and advertising industries. The proposed acquisition by H.I.G Capital comes at a key point for Kantar Media, which currently operates in more than 60 markets.

With a successful track record of advancing business growth, H.I.G Capital, also known for its direct approach, will be able to support Kantar Media with its innovative expansion, as the company is ideally equipped to influence the measurement landscape with a comprehensive range of solutions, including audience measurement, data analytics, media planning, and validation.

Following the sale, Patrick Béhar, CEO of Kantar Media, will continue to lead the business. “Over a year ago, I joined Kantar Media from Sky to accelerate the transformation of Kantar Media into an agile, technology-centric company, shaping the measurement industry through advanced cross-media solutions,” said Béhar in a statement. “This transaction would give us the resources and support to further accelerate our growth trajectory and strengthen our position as the global leader in media measurement and analytics.”

“With H.I.G.’s expertise in scaling businesses and driving performance, we are more confident than ever in our ability to deliver innovative, data-driven solutions that meet the evolving needs of our growing client base all over the globe. Today is a fantastic moment for Kantar Media, its teams, its partners, and its customers as we embark with H.I.G onto the next stage of our transformation”.

“We are excited to partner with Patrick and his talented team,” said Nishant Nayyar, managing director at H.I.G Capital, in a statement. “Kantar Media has a long-standing reputation for delivering essential data and trusted insights to the global media industry. We are confident that as an independent business under the leadership of Patrick, the company will continue to thrive and lead the way in media measurement and analytics innovation”.

Chris Jansen, Kantar Group’s chief executive, added, “We set up Kantar Media to be operationally independent in 2023 to allow it to consolidate its global leadership position in audience measurement. Today’s proposed partnership announcement with H.I.G. Capital positions Kantar Media to continue its investments in technological and geographical leadership and we wish Patrick and his team the very best for the future.”

The sale, valued at approximately 1 billion dollars, will primarily be paid in cash, with additional non-cash considerations such as separation-related investments by H.I.G. Capital and an earn-out. The acquisition is expected to close later this year, as the deal is subject to customary legal and regulatory approvals. J.P. Morgan and Jefferies advised Kantar Group, while Morgan Stanley & Co. International and ING supported H.I.G. Capital.