It’s official. Nielsen has new owners.
Evergreen Coast Capital Corp. and Brookfield Business Partners, along with other private equity partners, have closed their purchase of the measurement giant in an all-cash transaction valued at $16 billion, including the assumption of debt.
The deal makes Nielsen a privately held company. Starting Wednesday, shares of “NLSN” will no longer trade on the New York Stock Exchange.
Nielsen shareholders will receive $28 per share in cash, as spelled out under the terms of the deal, which was first announced in March.
The price represents a 10% premium over the private equity consortium's earlier proposal and a 60% premium over Nielsen's stock price before the potential sale surfaced in early March.
Getting the blockbuster deal across the finish line “marks an important milestone for Nielsen,” CEO David Kenny said in a news release. “We are excited for a bright future as a private company. This transaction provides significant value to our shareholders and provides the best conditions to execute on our Nielsen ONE strategy."
Evergreen is an affiliate of Elliott Investment Management, one of the largest activist funds in the world. As of June 30, 2022, Elliott manages approximately $55.7 billion in assets.
"Nielsen is a leader in the media industry," said Senior Portfolio Manager Marc Steinberg and Senior Managing Director Isaac Kim in a joint statement on behalf of Elliott and Evergreen. "Nielsen created the blueprint for audience measurement, and we believe it is in the best position to be the leader in measurement for the streaming era and to continue to provide value for the new media ecosystem."
Added Dave Gregory, Managing Partner, Brookfield Business Partners: "Nielsen is a trusted service provider to its customers. We look forward to supporting the company's growth as it continues to lay the groundwork for the future of media."
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