Orange Takes Médiamétrie Stake and Strategic Role

Telecoms company Orange has acquired a small stake in French audience measurement agency Médiamétrie, and will now be represented on its Board.

The firm was established in 1985 and measures audiences for TV, radio, computer, smartphone and tablet, cinema and cross-media, in France and abroad. Two years ago, it launched measures for catch-up radio (content listened to after the broadcast) and native podcasts (those with original audio content); and changed the name of its international division Eurodata TV Worldwide to 'Glance'.

Currently, 65% of Médiamétrie's shares are held by the media and 35% by advertisers and their advisory media agencies. Orange now owns a 2.44% stake in Médiamétrie, acquired through the sale of some of the shares previously owned by the Union Des Marques (Union of Brands), which remains a shareholder with a 9.33% stake. Michel Jumeau (pictured), Deputy Executive Director of Orange France, will represent Orange on Médiamétrie's Board of Directors.

Médiamétrie Chairman and CEO Yannick Carriou comments: 'Orange joining as a shareholder marks the start of a new phase. Against a backdrop of accelerating changes in content offers and public behaviour, Orange will also participate in discussions on the strategic orientations of Médiamétrie with a view to developing the audience measurement methods of the future that will be innovative, sovereign and respectful of individuals and that will serve the media and advertising ecosystem'.

Web site: www.mediametrie.fr .