TNS Expands Cinema Tracking Service

Taylor Nelson Sofres (TNS) has just agreed to acquire the business and assets of Theatrical Entertainment Services, Inc. and its sister company RapidChek Reporting, Inc. (TES when combined). This is the largest US supplier of box office verification and cinema tracking services to the film industry and cinema operators.

TES currently provides a wide range of syndicated film monitoring services. These include cinema attendance figures and box office verification, film trailer and on-screen advertising monitoring, together with auditing of in-cinema advertising materials and promotions. The company's client base at present includes a raft of big-name studios, eg Walt Disney, Universal, Warner Brothers, MGM/UA, Sony Pictures and Dreamworks SKG.

Plans are in place to convert TES into a division of Taylor Nelson Sofres' CMR, the company's American strategic advertising tracking section. The current TES owner and CEO, Thomas Steven Perakos, will maintain his position and responsibilities along with many of the existing management team.

Commenting on the acquisition, TNS chief executive Mike Kirkham, said "We are delighted to be purchasing the market leader in cinema monitoring, which is an excellent fit with CMR and adds to the media we cover in the US. This high quality company provides the data that is accepted as the industry standard. This move is in line with our strategic aim of increasing the group's range of higher margin, syndicated services. We will gain added value by providing cinema advertising tracking to our existing customer base of agencies and advertisers. In addition, we have the opportunity to deliver CMR's TV trailer tracking and verification to the TES customer base."

Thomas Perakos, CEO of TES, added "We have identified considerable potential for expanding our services through the international growth of our core businesses. Our clients, who now distribute their films worldwide, have been encouraging us to expand into Europe and other markets, where the comprehensive, time-sensitive cinema monitoring services in which we specialise are not currently available. We were looking for the best partner who could help us to achieve our international ambitions speedily and successfully. With its powerful international network and local media monitoring experience, Taylor Nelson Sofres is the ideal match."

All articles 2006-22 written and edited by Mel Crowther and/or Nick Thomas unless otherwise stated.

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