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More investors are counting on the ability to count advertising dollars.
Thompson Street Capital Partners, a private equity firm, and Endicott Capital, an investment entity focused on information services, have made a strategic investment in MediaRadar, a tracker of advertising outlays. It is the latest transaction to have financial players gravitate to the discipline of measuring ad spending. Thompson will take a controlling stake in the business, though financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
In an interview, Todd Krizelman, MediaRadar’s founder and CEO, indicated the investments would be utilized to create more products around such areas as retail media and social media, but also to help gain scale in the marketplace. As more media entities start to offer their own methodologies for being measured, Krizelman said, the marketplace is likely to seek a single third-party entity to examine spending. “That’s a missing puzzle piece, for sure,” he said.
Others have sought oversight of measurement entities in the recent past. GCTR, a private equity firm, acquired Standard Media Index, a tracker of ad spending, in June. And Nielsen, arguably the best known audience-measurement entity, agreed in March to be acquired by a group led by Evergreen Coast Capital Corporation, an affiliate of activist fund Elliott Investment Management L.P., and Brookfield Business Partners L.P.
Succeeding in the sector demands capital, said Krizelman. “There are significant costs to providing outstanding service, whether you are on the buying or selling side of the marketplace.” ,
MediaRadar, founded in 2007, has 20,000 users who rely on a database that tracks more than $200 billion of annual media spend across more than four million brands. The information is tailored specifically for ad sales teams at media entities via software tools. Customers can utilize the data to obtain insights and make better outreach to clients. MediaRadar examines streaming channels, linear TV, magazines, newspapers, and digital platforms including formats such as YouTube, podcasting, and social media. Clients clients include the majority of the largest media companies in the United States.
The investors will provide advice and guidance as well as capital, said Krizelman.
“We are thrilled to partner with Todd and the team at MediaRadar. They’ve built a highly differentiated offering around unique, proprietary ad spend and contact data, which has driven strong client relationships, excellent renewal rates, and an impressive long-term growth trajectory,” said Dan Cooper, a director at Thompson Street Capital, in a statement.
“MediaRadar is a must-have resource that enables advertising sales professionals to deliver revenue in a complex and ever-changing media environment. Endicott’s mission is to partner with information services companies like MediaRadar to help them achieve their next phase of growth and commercial success,” said Dan Seideman, principal at Endicott Capital, in a statement.
Frontier Growth, which sold majority ownership to TSCP and Endicott Capitol will remain a minority shareholder in MediaRadar.
