Nielsen Rejects Private Equity Group’s Bid to Acquire Measurement Company
Brian Steinberg Senior TV EditorNielsen Holdings PLC has turned down a bid by a private-equity consortium to buy the media-measurement giant, noting that the company feels the proposal “does not adequately compensate shareholders for Nielsen’s growth prospects.”Shares in the company, which has been under scrutiny for months as TV networks that represent some of its biggest clients have sought new measurement work from rivals, soared more than 40% on Monday on a report that a group that included Nielsen investor Elliott Management Corp. sought to buy the company for what could be around $15 billion, including debt.Nielsen said its choice was bolstered by conversations with one of its largest shareholders, The WindAcre Partnership, an investor since 2013.