Report: FTC To Focus On New Media in Nielsen/Arbitron Deal

U.S. antitrust regulators are likely to scrutinize new forms of advertising as they mull the planned purchase by television rating giant Nielsen Holdings NV of Arbitron Inc, which dominates radio ratings, legal experts say.

The Federal Trade Commission, in assessing the $1.26 billion merger to ensure it complies with antitrust law, will likely focus on the emerging frontier - cross-platform data designed to tell advertisers in a holistic way what customers watch on television, listen to on the radio, look at online and see on their mobile devices.

An informal Reuters poll of eight antitrust experts found that six believed that the FTC would approve Nielsen's purchase. A seventh thought a challenge was possible and an eighth had no opinion.

Access to reliable ratings is critical for companies formulating their advertising strategies, to the tune of some $140 billion in 2012 according to data from Kantar Media. The higher the rating and the more attractive the demographic, the more advertisers will be asked to pay for the spot.

Arbitron uses its own on-device meters to measure how consumers use mobile phones and tablets.

And, what about the newest frontier of all: combining all four media so that advertisers can see how to get the absolute best bang for their buck, and respond accordingly.

A poll of Association of National Advertisers members found that half had "no concerns" about the deal while half had "some" or "serious" concerns, ANA's Duggan said in a blog post.

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