Kantar Media Sale Completed

In London, investment firm H.I.G. Capital has announced the completion of its acquisition of Kantar Media, which was agreed in January.

Kantar Media operates in over 60 markets and offers audience measurement, cross-media analytics and media validation tools. Run by former Sky exec Patrick Béhar (pictured), the division accounted for around 15% of Kantar's total revenue (2022: $3,062m) and a very similar proportion of headcount (4,000 of a total 25,000).

H.I.G. is a global alternative investment firm with $70 billion of capital under management, headquarters in Miami and offices on four continents. The firm's current portfolio includes more than 100 companies with combined sales in excess of $53 billion. The agreement to buy 100% of Kantar Media for around $1 billion followed expressions of interest from Ipsos and others, but came soon after the investor's interest was first confirmed.

CEO Béhar says of the completion: 'This milestone marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter, one where we will sharpen our strategic focus, reinforce our position as a fiercely independent authority in media measurement, and accelerate innovation on behalf of our clients, partners, and teams around the world.'

H.I.G. Managing Director Nishant Nayyar adds: 'Kantar Media has long been recognized as a foundational player in the global media ecosystem, providing mission-critical data and AI-powered analytics that drive strategic decision-making for its clients. With an evolving suite of data solutions and proprietary measurement capabilities, we believe the company is well-positioned under Patrick's leadership to thrive as an independent organization and accelerate its growth as a market leader in media measurement and advanced analytics.'

The firms are online at www.kantarmedia.com and www.hig.com .