Gracenote will keep its data vaults stocked with more movie and TV information following its $50 million acquisition of Baseline.
Gracenote said the deal, announced Wednesday, will deepen its existing video metadata by adding detailed, descriptive information about movies and TV productions from Baseline that will help it “power next generation TV and video experiences.”
Baseline’s database contains information from more than 300,000 movies and TV projects, and data on nearly 1.5 million TV and film pros via its The Studio System product, Gracenote said, noting that Baseline’s licensed data powers video search and discovery features for a number of TV Everywhere apps as well as online video services run by companies such as Hulu and Vudu.
Baseline will continue to operate from its Los Angeles headquarters.
“The acquisition of Baseline continues our strategy to build upon our existing metadata expertise to advance Gracenote’s leadership in entertainment data and services,” said Peter Liguori, president and chief executive officer of Tribune Media, in a statement (Tribune acquired Gracenote for $170 million earlier this year). “We’ve made strategic acquisitions in the last few months that have expanded our geographic footprint and have strengthened Gracenote’s services. In combination with our recent international acquisitions, Baseline is yet another example of our commitment to provide customers the highest standard of global solutions in the metadata space.”
“For years, Baseline has served as the trusted source for entertainment data to help digital media companies, studios and agencies stay on top of a fast changing industry,” added John Batter, who recently left M-GO to become CEO of Gracenote. “Baseline’s deep production data coupled with its existing relationships with the studio community will help us improve the depth and breadth of the data we offer to existing Gracenote customers, as well as provides us a foundation to build products aimed squarely at serving the entertainment industry."
Gracenote’s acquisition follows other recent M&A activity for the company. In July Tribune Digital Ventures acquired What’s-ON, a TV search and electronic program guide data provider for India and the Middle East, for $27 million.
