Nielsen announces sale of global connect business to advent international for $2.7 billion

Advent, in partnership with former TransUnion CEO Jim Peck, will accelerate Nielsen Global Connect’s transformation and support its continued innovation in consumer and market measurement.

Nielsen akan mengadakan conference call untuk membahas pengumuman hari ini serta laporan keuangan kuartal ketiga tahun 2020 pada pukul 08.00 WIB, Senin, 2 November 2020.

NEW YORK, and BOSTON, November 1, 2020 — Nielsen Holdings plc (“Nielsen”) (NYSE: NLSN) announced today that it has signed a definitive agreement under which affiliates of Advent International (“Advent”), one of the largest and most experienced global private equity investors, in partnership with James “Jim” Peck, former Chief Executive Officer of TransUnion, will acquire the Nielsen Global Connect business for $2.7 billion (subject to working capital, cash, debt-like items and other customary adjustments). Nielsen will also receive warrants in the new company exercisable in certain circumstances. Upon completion of the transaction, Nielsen Global Connect will be a private company with the flexibility to continue investing in the development and deployment of leading-edge measurement products and solutions. The transaction was unanimously approved by Nielsen’s Board of Directors. 

"Ini merupakan kemenangan bagi Nielsen Global Connect dan Nielsen (RemainCo), serta para pemegang saham kami," ujar David Kenny, Chief Executive Officer, Nielsen. "Penjualan bisnis ini kepada Advent akan memberikan nilai yang substansial lebih cepat daripada yang diantisipasi melalui rencana spin-off dan menciptakan kepastian bagi semua pemangku kepentingan. Hasil dari penjualan ini akan memungkinkan Nielsen untuk mengurangi hutang secara signifikan, yang akan memberikan fleksibilitas keuangan yang lebih besar untuk menjalankan strategi pertumbuhan kami dan memperluas peran kami di pasar media global. Pada saat yang sama, kami sangat antusias dengan kesempatan ini untuk Nielsen Global Connect dan percaya bahwa bergerak maju sebagai perusahaan swasta akan menempatkan bisnis ini pada posisi yang lebih baik untuk mempercepat transformasinya dan memperkuat posisinya di pasar. Dengan dukungan sumber daya dan keahlian Advent, kami yakin perusahaan baru ini akan menciptakan dan mendefinisikan abad berikutnya dalam pengukuran konsumen dan pasar. Kami berterima kasih kepada seluruh tim Nielsen Global Connect atas kemitraan mereka yang tak ternilai harganya dan berharap dapat melanjutkan hubungan kerja yang kuat dengan mereka di masa depan."

Kenny menambahkan, "Semua kerja keras yang dilakukan oleh banyak pihak untuk mengupayakan pemisahan ini akan memposisikan kedua bisnis ini untuk berkembang sebagai perusahaan yang berdiri sendiri dan memungkinkan kami untuk melakukan transaksi yang lancar. Kami berterima kasih atas semua kerja keras ini."

"Nielsen Global Connect adalah standar emas dalam pengukuran ritel, dengan wawasan yang luar biasa dan skala serta cakupan yang tak tertandingi di pasar CPG dan ritel global," kata Peck. "Ketika pelanggan menghadapi pasar yang berkembang pesat, kami menyadari bahwa mereka memiliki ekspektasi yang tinggi terhadap Nielsen Global Connect untuk membantu mereka memenuhi tuntutan baru ini dan membangun platform inti yang sudah ada dan kemampuan pengukuran ritel lainnya. Kami bermaksud untuk bekerja sama dengan David Rawlinson dan tim manajemen yang berbakat untuk mempercepat penyampaian kapabilitas baru dan melanjutkan transformasi yang sedang berlangsung untuk membangun budaya yang inovatif dan berkinerja tinggi yang sangat berfokus pada pemberian nilai kepada pelanggan di seluruh dunia." 

"Advent sangat senang dapat bermitra dengan Jim dalam mendorong fase pertumbuhan berikutnya untuk Nielsen Global Connect," kata Chris Egan, Managing Partner di Advent. "Advent telah berinvestasi di perusahaan-perusahaan layanan data dan informasi selama hampir tiga dekade, dan pada awal tahun ini kami bekerja sama dengan Jim untuk mengidentifikasi bisnis yang menarik di sektor ini, di mana kami dapat menerapkan pengalaman dan sumber daya kami untuk menciptakan nilai. Kami melihat potensi yang luar biasa untuk membangun platform mutakhir Global Connect, dengan memanfaatkan jejak global dan kekuatan operasional kami untuk meningkatkan skala bisnis lebih lanjut dan memajukan kepemimpinannya di pasar yang sudah mapan maupun pasar yang sedang berkembang."

David Rawlinson akan tetap menjabat sebagai CEO Nielsen Global Connect sampai dengan penutupan transaksi dan diharapkan akan menjadi bagian dari tim kepemimpinan untuk perusahaan yang akan datang. Setelah transaksi ini selesai, Peck akan terlibat dalam kegiatan strategis dan operasional perusahaan sehari-hari, yang akan berkantor pusat di Chicago, IL. Pada awal tahun 2021, bisnis Global Connect akan berganti nama menjadi NielsenIQ.

Nielsen akan memberikan lisensi kepada Nielsen Global Connect untuk memberi merek produk dan layanannya dengan nama "Nielsen" dan merek dagang Nielsen lainnya selama 20 tahun setelah penutupan. Selain itu, Nielsen dan Advent akan menandatangani perjanjian-perjanjian yang mana, antara lain, Nielsen dan Advent akan memberikan layanan transisi tertentu kepada satu sama lain untuk jangka waktu sampai dengan 24 bulan setelah penutupan, saling memberikan lisensi timbal balik untuk data tertentu dan layanan terkait yang berhubungan dengan data tersebut untuk jangka waktu sampai dengan lima tahun setelah penutupan dan saling memberikan lisensi untuk menggunakan hak paten tertentu.    

Nielsen Global Connect memberikan informasi yang dapat ditindaklanjuti kepada para produsen dan peritel barang kemasan konsumen dan gambaran lengkap tentang pasar yang kompleks dan terus berubah yang dibutuhkan merek untuk berinovasi dan mengembangkan bisnis mereka. Perusahaan ini menawarkan data dan membangun perangkat yang menggunakan model prediktif untuk mengubah pengamatan pasar menjadi keputusan bisnis dan solusi yang unggul. Data dan wawasan ini memberikan fondasi penting yang memungkinkan pasar dalam dunia perdagangan yang berkembang pesat.

Nielsen berencana untuk menggunakan hasil bersih dari transaksi ini terutama untuk mengurangi utang dan untuk tujuan umum perusahaan. Berdasarkan proforma transaksi, Nielsen memperkirakan leverage bersih pada akhir tahun 2020 sekitar 4X. Transaksi ini tunduk pada persetujuan dari pemegang saham Nielsen, persetujuan dari regulator, konsultasi dengan dewan komisaris dan persyaratan penutupan lainnya; transaksi ini diharapkan akan ditutup pada kuartal kedua tahun 2021.

J.P. Morgan Securities LLC and Guggenheim Securities, LLC are acting as financial advisors to Nielsen, and Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz, Clifford Chance LLP, DLA Piper, and Baker McKenzie are serving as legal advisors to Nielsen. Ropes & Gray LLP and Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP are serving as legal counsel to Advent and BofA Securities is serving as lead financial advisor, with Deutsche Bank Securities Inc., RBC Capital Markets and UBS Investment Bank also advising. Financing for the transaction is being arranged and provided by Bank of America, UBS Investment Bank, Barclays, Deutsche Bank AG New York, HSBC, RBC Capital Markets, MUFG and Wells Fargo.

Nielsen will hold a conference call to discuss today’s announcements as well as its third quarter 2020 financial results at 8:00 a.m. U.S. Eastern Time (ET) on Monday, November 2, 2020. This conference call will replace the previously announced conference call scheduled for Thursday, November 5, 2020. Interested parties are encouraged to listen to the webcast as wait times for the call may be longer than normal. The webcast can be found on Nielsen’s Investor Relations website at https://nielsen.com/investors. Within the United States, listeners can also access the call by dialing 1+833-502-0473. Callers outside the U.S. can dial 1+236-714-2183. Please note that the conference ID is required to access this call; the conference ID is 2671835.

A replay of the event will be available on Nielsen’s Investor Relations website, https://nielsen.com/investors, from 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time, November 2, 2020 until 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time, November 9, 2020. The replay can be accessed from within the United States by dialing +1-800-585-8367. Other callers can access the replay at +1-416-621-4642. The replay pass code is 2671835.

Nielsen Holdings plc (NYSE: NLSN) is a global measurement and data analytics company that provides the most complete and trusted view available of consumers and markets worldwide. Nielsen is divided into two business units. Nielsen Global Media provides media and advertising industries with unbiased and reliable metrics that create a shared understanding of the industry required for markets to function. Nielsen Global Connect provides consumer packaged goods manufacturers and retailers with accurate, actionable information and insights and a complete picture of the complex and changing marketplace that companies need to innovate and grow. Our approach marries proprietary Nielsen data with other data sources to help clients around the world understand what’s happening now, what’s happening next, and how to best act on this knowledge. An S&P 500 company, Nielsen has operations in over 90 countries, covering more than 90% of the world’s population. For more information, visit www.nielsen.com. 

From time to time, Nielsen may use its website and social media outlets as channels of distribution of material company information. Financial and other material information regarding the company is routinely posted and accessible on our website at https://beta.nielsen.com/investors and our Twitter account at https://twitter.com/Nielsen. 

Didirikan pada tahun 1984, Advent International adalah salah satu investor ekuitas swasta global terbesar dan paling berpengalaman. Perusahaan ini telah berinvestasi di lebih dari 350 transaksi ekuitas swasta di 41 negara, dan per 30 Juni 2020, memiliki aset kelolaan sebesar $58,4 miliar. Dengan 15 kantor di 12 negara, Advent telah membentuk tim yang terintegrasi secara global yang terdiri dari lebih dari 200 profesional investasi di seluruh Amerika Utara, Eropa, Amerika Latin, dan Asia. Perusahaan ini berfokus pada investasi di lima sektor utama, termasuk bisnis dan layanan keuangan; perawatan kesehatan; industri; ritel, konsumen dan rekreasi; dan teknologi. Setelah 35 tahun berdedikasi pada investasi internasional, Advent tetap berkomitmen untuk bermitra dengan tim manajemen dalam menghasilkan pertumbuhan pendapatan dan laba yang berkelanjutan bagi perusahaan-perusahaan portofolionya.

For more information, visit www.adventinternational.com or LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/advent-international 

This communication includes information that could constitute forward-looking statements made pursuant to the safe harbor provision of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.  These statements include those set forth above relating to the proposed sale by Nielsen of its Global Connect business to an affiliate of Advent International Corporation (the “proposed transaction”), as well as those that may be identified by words such as “will,” “intend,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “should,” “could” and similar expressions.  These statements are subject to risks and uncertainties, and actual results and events could differ materially from what presently is expected.  Factors leading thereto may include, without limitation, the risks related to the COVID-19 pandemic on the global economy and financial markets, the uncertainties relating to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Nielsen’s business, the timing, receipt and terms and conditions of any required governmental or regulatory approvals of the proposed transaction that could reduce the anticipated benefits of or cause the parties to abandon the proposed transaction, the occurrence of any event, change or other circumstances that could give rise to the termination of the stock purchase agreement entered into pursuant to the proposed transaction (the “Agreement”), the possibility that Nielsen shareholders may not approve the entry into the Agreement, the risk that the parties to the Agreement may not be able to satisfy the conditions to the proposed transaction in a timely manner or at all, risks related to the disruption of management time from ongoing business operations due to the proposed transaction, the risk that any announcements relating to the proposed transaction could have adverse effects on the market price of Nielsen’s common stock, the risk of any unexpected costs or expenses resulting from the proposed transaction, the risk of any litigation relating to the proposed transaction, the risk that the proposed transaction and its announcement could have an adverse effect on the ability of Nielsen to retain customers and retain and hire key personnel and maintain relationships with customers, suppliers, employees and other business relationships and on its operating results and business generally, the risk that the pending proposed transaction could distract management of Nielsen, conditions in the markets Nielsen is engaged in, behavior of customers, suppliers and competitors, technological developments, as well as legal and regulatory rules affecting Nielsen’s business and  other specific risk factors that are outlined in our disclosure filings and materials, which you can find on https://beta.nielsen.com/investors, such as our 10-K, 10-Q and 8-K reports that have been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.  Please consult these documents for a more complete understanding of these risks and uncertainties.  This list of factors is not intended to be exhaustive.  Such forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this communication, and we assume no obligation to update any written or oral forward-looking statement made by us or on our behalf as a result of new information, future events or other factors, except as required by law.

This communication relates to the proposed transaction involving Nielsen.  In connection with the proposed transaction, Nielsen will file relevant materials with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), including Nielsen’s proxy statement on Schedule 14A (the “Proxy Statement”).  This communication is not a substitute for the Proxy Statement or for any other document that Nielsen may file with the SEC and send to its shareholders in connection with the proposed transaction.  The transaction will be submitted to Nielsen’s shareholders for their consideration.  Before making any voting decision, Nielsen’s shareholders are urged to read all relevant documents filed or to be filed with the SEC, including the Proxy Statement, as well as any amendments or supplements to those documents, when they become available because they will contain important information about the proposed transaction.

Nielsen’s shareholders will be able to obtain a free copy of the proxy statement, as well as other filings containing information about Nielsen, without charge, at the SEC’s website (www.sec.gov).  Copies of the proxy statement and the filings with the SEC that will be incorporated by reference therein can also be obtained, without charge, by directing a request to Nielsen Holdings plc, 85 Broad Street, New York, NY 10004, Attention: Corporate Secretary; telephone (646) 654-5000, or from Nielsen’s website, www.nielsen.com.  

Nielsen and certain of its directors, executive officers and employees may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies in respect of the transaction.  Information regarding Nielsen’s directors and executive officers is available in Nielsen’s definitive proxy statement for its 2020 annual meeting, which was filed with the SEC on April 1, 2020, and Nielsen’s Current Report on Form 8-K, which was filed with the SEC on April 30, 2020.  Other information regarding the participants in the proxy solicitation and a description of their direct and indirect interests, by security holdings or otherwise, will be contained in the Proxy Statement and other relevant materials to be filed with the SEC in connection with the proposed transaction when they become available.  Free copies of this document and such other materials may be obtained as described in the preceding paragraph.

Nielsen

Hubungan Investor: Sara Gubins, +1 646 654 8153, sara.gubins@nielsen.com 

Hubungan Media: Fernanda Paredes, +1 917 291 1196, fernanda.paredes@nielsen.com

Advent International

Kerry Golds or Anna Epstein, Finsbury, Tel: +1 646 805 2000, Adventinternational-US@finsbury.com