YouGov Buys Sports Specialist Charlton Insights

YouGov has acquired Toronto, Canada-based sports research firm Charlton Insights, for an undisclosed sum.

Launched in 1995, Charlton uses syndicated and custom research, along with a deep dive approach to analytics, to generate insights for clients in Canada and internationally. Syndicated products, can be customized to address the specific needs of individual sponsors, while its custom services include corporate sponsorship impact tracking, sponsorship portfolio assessment and development, and ticket package value and price testing. Clients include brands, teams and leagues in Canada, including the NHL, NBA and MLB.

As part of the deal - which involves a three-year earn-out tied to establishing YouGov Sports' presence in Canada - Charlton Insights founder Gordon Hendren (pictured) will continue to lead the team as Director, reporting to Frank Saez, YouGov's Head of Sector Experts. Charlton Insights will continue to operate under its name until it is rebranded as YouGov Sports, and the company is now tasked with taking YouGov's suite of research and insights products and services into the Canadian market to develop relationships with rights holders, corporate sponsors agencies, and other stakeholders in the sports and marketing space.

Hendren comments: 'As a leader in sports and sponsorship research and consulting in Canada, Charlton Insights joining the YouGov family is a natural fit, and we look forward to bringing these insight solutions to the Canadian marketplace. Our current and prospective clients will benefit from YouGov's data visualization capability, proprietary panel and insights, powered by its presence in North America and in 59 markets globally'.

Web sites: www.yougov.com and www.charltoninsights.com .