Nielsen Shareholders Approve $16 Billion Sale to Private Equity

By Jon Lafayette
( Broadcasting & Cable )
published

Transaction expected to close in October

New Nielsen Logo

Nielsen Holdings said that shareholders have voted to approve a $16 billion transaction in which the measurement company would be acquired by a private equity group led by Elliott Investment Management and Brookfield Business Partners.

The transaction calls for Nielsen stock to be bought for $28 a share in cash.

The company said the transaction is expected to close in October.

Nielsen last month announced that it had received regulatory approval for the deal.

Also Read: In New Setback, Nielsen Says Its ‘Big Data’ Isn’t Ready for Transacting

Two meetings were held. One was a court meeting in the U.K. The other was a special meeting of shareholders in the U.S.  Nielsen last month reached an agreement with WindAcre Partnership, a major shareholder that had opposed the deal 

Upon closing, Nielsen will become a private company, and its shares will no longer be traded on the New York Stock Exchange. ■

Jon Lafayette
Jon Lafayette

Jon has been business editor of Broadcasting+Cable since 2010. He focuses on revenue-generating activities, including advertising and distribution, as well as executive intrigue and merger and acquisition activity. Just about any story is fair game, if a dollar sign can make its way into the article. Before B+C, Jon covered the industry for TVWeek, Cable World, Electronic Media, Advertising Age and The New York Post. A native New Yorker, Jon is hiding in plain sight in the suburbs of Chicago.