Measurement Firm ComScore to Acquire Rentrak

Audience measurement firm ComScore Inc. agreed to acquire rival Rentrak Corp. in an all-stock deal that aims to reshape the business of sizing up what consumers are watching—and the ads they are seeing—whether on TV, the Web, or mobile devices.

ComScore, known for its Internet-traffic measurement capabilities, and Rentrak, which uses set-top box data to gauge television viewing, together create a more formidable competitor to Nielsen NV, the reigning behemoth in audience measurement in the U.S.

Under the deal’s terms, each share of Rentrak will be converted into the right to receive 1.15 shares of comScore, valuing Rentrak at $732 million, compared with Tuesday market value of $697 million. Rentrak stockholders would receive $47.69 per share, a 9.9% premium, based on Tuesday’s closing prices. ComScore currently has a market capitalization of $1.7 billion.

The merger would bolster the two companies’ competitiveness in the race to figure out how to measure media content and ad campaigns across TV and digital devices.