Nielsen and Ebiquity merger faces in-depth probe from competition watchdog

The proposed merger between data marketing companies Nielsen and Ebiquity will face an in-depth investigation by the competition watchdog.

It follows Nielsen and Ebiquity, who both monitor the advertising habits of UK companies, announcing an intention to merge in February.

But earlier this month, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) raised concerns with the deal, as both companies are the only suppliers of detailed advertising intelligence across a range of UK media.

Read more: Competition watchdog flags concerns over Ebiquity and Nielsen merger

It argued that as the two companies were each other's closest competitor in the market, and faced limited competition from other suppliers internationally, the deal could raise competition concerns.

Nielsen and Ebiquity were given a chance to offer acceptable undertakings to address these concerns, but as they did not propose a satisfactory compromise, the CMA has referred the merger to an in-depth investigation.

The process will take around 24 weeks to complete.

In a statement, Ebiquity said it noted the CMA's decision.

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CityAM

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