A Nielsen anuncia a venda do negócio global Connect à Advent International por US$ 2,7 bilhões

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.

A Nielsen realizará uma teleconferência para discutir os anúncios de hoje, bem como seus resultados financeiros do terceiro trimestre de 2020, às 8h, horário da costa leste dos EUA (ET), na segunda-feira, 2 de novembro de 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. 

“Esta é uma vitória tanto para a Nielsen Global Connect quanto para a Nielsen (RemainCo), bem como para nossos acionistas”, disse David Kenny, diretor executivo da Nielsen. “A venda deste negócio para a Advent proporcionará um valor substancial mais cedo do que o previsto através da cisão planejada e cria certeza para todas as partes interessadas. O produto da venda permitirá à Nielsen reduzir significativamente a dívida, o que proporcionará maior flexibilidade financeira para executar nossa estratégia de crescimento e expandir nosso papel no mercado global de mídia. Ao mesmo tempo, estamos entusiasmados com esta oportunidade para a Nielsen Global Connect e acreditamos que avançar como uma empresa privada posicionará melhor o negócio para acelerar sua transformação e fortalecer sua posição de liderança no mercado. Com o apoio dos recursos e da experiência da Advent, acreditamos que a nova empresa criará e definirá o próximo século de medição de consumidores e mercados. Agradecemos a toda a equipe da Nielsen Global Connect por sua parceria inestimável e esperamos continuar uma forte relação de trabalho com eles no futuro.”

Kenny acrescentou: “Todo o excelente trabalho realizado por tantas pessoas para concretizar a cisão permitirá que ambas as empresas prosperem como empresas independentes e nos permitirá realizar uma transação tranquila. Estamos gratos por todo esse trabalho dedicado.”

“A Nielsen Global Connect é referência em medição de varejo, com insights excepcionais e escala e cobertura incomparáveis dos mercados globais de bens de consumo embalados (CPG) e varejo”, disse Peck. “À medida que os clientes enfrentam um mercado em rápida evolução, reconhecemos que eles têm grandes expectativas em relação à Nielsen Global Connect para ajudá-los a atender a essas novas demandas e desenvolver sua plataforma central existente e outros recursos de medição de varejo. Pretendemos trabalhar com David Rawlinson e a talentosa equipe de gestão para acelerar a entrega de novos recursos e continuar a transformação em andamento para construir uma cultura inovadora e de alto desempenho, focada em entregar valor aos clientes em todo o mundo.” 

“A Advent está entusiasmada com a parceria com Jim para impulsionar esta próxima fase de crescimento da Nielsen Global Connect”, disse Chris Egan, sócio-gerente da Advent. “A Advent investe em empresas de serviços de dados e informações há quase três décadas e, no início deste ano, nos unimos a Jim para identificar um negócio atraente no setor, no qual pudéssemos aplicar nossa experiência e recursos combinados para criar valor. Vemos um enorme potencial para desenvolver a plataforma de ponta da Global Connect, aproveitando nossa presença global e força operacional para expandir ainda mais os negócios e avançar sua liderança em mercados estabelecidos e emergentes.”

David Rawlinson permanecerá como CEO da Nielsen Global Connect até o fechamento da transação e deverá fazer parte da equipe de liderança da nova empresa. Após o fechamento, Peck estará envolvido nas atividades estratégicas e operacionais diárias da empresa, que terá sede em Chicago, Illinois. No início de 2021, a Global Connect passará a se chamar NielsenIQ.

A Nielsen concederá à Nielsen Global Connect uma licença para comercializar seus produtos e serviços com o nome “Nielsen” e outras marcas registradas da Nielsen por 20 anos após o fechamento do negócio. Além disso, a Nielsen e a Advent celebrarão acordos nos termos dos quais, entre outras coisas, a Nielsen e a Advent prestarão determinados serviços de transição uma à outra por períodos de até 24 meses após o fechamento, concederão licenças recíprocas uma à outra para determinados dados e serviços correspondentes relacionados a esses dados por períodos de até cinco anos após o fechamento e concederão licenças uma à outra para usar determinadas patentes.    

A Nielsen Global Connect fornece aos fabricantes e varejistas de bens de consumo embalados informações úteis e uma visão completa do mercado complexo e em constante mudança, necessárias para que as marcas inovem e expandam seus negócios. A empresa oferece dados e desenvolve ferramentas que utilizam modelos preditivos para transformar observações de mercado em decisões comerciais e soluções vencedoras. Esses dados e insights fornecem a base essencial que torna os mercados possíveis no mundo do comércio em rápida evolução.

A Nielsen planeja usar os rendimentos líquidos da transação principalmente para reduzir dívidas e para fins corporativos gerais. Com base em uma estimativa pro forma para a transação, a Nielsen espera que a alavancagem líquida no final do ano de 2020 seja de aproximadamente 4X. A transação está sujeita à aprovação dos acionistas da Nielsen, aprovações regulatórias, consulta ao conselho de trabalhadores e outras condições habituais de fechamento; espera-se que seja concluída no segundo trimestre de 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. 

Fundada em 1984, a Advent International é uma das maiores e mais experientes investidoras globais em private equity. A empresa já investiu em mais de 350 transações de private equity em 41 países e, em 30 de junho de 2020, tinha US$ 58,4 bilhões em ativos sob gestão. Com 15 escritórios em 12 países, a Advent estabeleceu uma equipe globalmente integrada de mais de 200 profissionais de investimento na América do Norte, Europa, América Latina e Ásia. A empresa concentra-se em investimentos em cinco setores principais, incluindo serviços empresariais e financeiros; saúde; industrial; varejo, consumo e lazer; e tecnologia. Após 35 anos dedicados ao investimento internacional, a Advent continua comprometida em estabelecer parcerias com equipes de gestão para proporcionar crescimento sustentável de receitas e lucros para as empresas de seu portfólio.

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

Relações com investidores: Sara Gubins, +1 646 654 8153, sara.gubins@nielsen.com 

Relações com a mídia: 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