Rumor Fact(ory): Nielsen reportedly exploring Gracenote acquisition

Nielsen is reportedly in discussions to acquire Gracenote. Variety cited sources who said such a deal would be between $450 million and $500 million. The focus for Nielsen would most likely be Gracenote’s automatic content recognition technology. Representatives from Nielsen, Gracenote, and Gracenote’s parent company Tribune Media have declined to comment on the rumored deal.

Gracenote began as a CD metadata company but has since expanded to include other types of content. Most recently, it announced a campaign to power music video experiences for pay-TV providers.