Rentrak Shares Seal Exclusive Data Deal

US-based viewer measurement firm Rentrak has struck a deal with satellite TV firm Dish Network, giving the latter a seven percent stake in Rentrak in exchange for exclusive rights to set-top box data until 2016.

Rentrak, which announced financial results on Friday, says it will pay Dish $5.8m in cash and give it 700,000 shares in exchange for exclusivity. The deal continues a relationship established in 2008, which gave non-exclusive access to the data until 2013 in exchange for a profit-sharing agreement. Profit-sharing will continue alongside the new exclusive arrangement.

Other STB data partners including AT&T and several cable operators will continue to work with Rentrak on a non-exclusive basis.

Anonymous data collected directly from cable and satellite TV subscribers is the basis of Rentrak's fast-growing AIM division, which is now larger than its original core area, video rental.

CEO Bill Livek comments: 'Our long-term partnership with DISH has helped produce the most comprehensive measurement system for television viewing across every zip code in America'

The Portland, OR-based firm is online at www.rentrak.com .

All articles 2006-23 written and edited by Mel Crowther and/or Nick Thomas, 2024- by Nick Thomas, unless otherwise stated.