AMI Division Growth Continues to Bolster Rentrak

Multi-screen measurement specialist Rentrak has reported a 20% revenue increase to $9.9m for its Advanced Media and Information (AMI) division during the quarter ended December 31 - but due to continued decline in its Home Entertainment wing lost $1.9m overall in the period.

Rentrak says 140 TV station clients signed up for its local TV measurement service in the past three months, up from 79 at the beginning of the quarter.

CEO Bill Livek comments: 'Marketplace momentum for our TV businesses is continuing to build, with more networks, stations, advertisers and ad agencies using Rentrak's census-based measurement currency. We are successfully delivering on our promise to grow our AIM division to represent the majority of our revenue and operating income.'

The AMI division - which represents 45% of Rentrak's consolidated revenues (up from 35% last year) includes the TV Essentials product, which grew 58% to $2.3m from $1.4m last year; the Box Office Essentials arm, which saw sales rise 21% from $4.5m to $5.5m; and the OnDemand Essentials arm, which reported a slight revenue decline of 5% to $2.1m.

However, AMI growth only partially offset a continued decline in the firm's Home Entertainment division, which saw sales fall 21% to $12.3m from $15.5m in the prior year period. As a result, group consolidated revenues were $22.2m for the third quarter of fiscal 2012, compared with $23.7m for last year's third quarter.

Group operating expenses for the fiscal 2012 third quarter totalled $11.6m, while operating loss for the period was reduced to $974k, including $186k of acquisition expenses and $1.0m of stock-based compensation costs.

Earlier today, Rentrak announced it had signed a 'milestone' deal with Interpublic, which will use its TV audience measurement data as a 'trading currency'. The deal, which includes a new TV audience segmentation system targeting movie-goers, will cover Interpublic's Mediabrands units Initiative, Universal McCann and Magna Global.

Web site: www.rentrak.com .