Tribune Digital Ventures, the tech and innovation arm of Tribune Company, has inked a deal to acquire TV by the Numbers, a unit that analyses TV ratings data and entertainment news.
Terms of the transaction were not disclosed, but, in a related move, Tribune Digital Ventures, the tech and innovation arm of Tribune Company, has also relaunched entertainment Web site Zap2it and given it a “renewed focus on helping TV fans discover programs to watch across linear TV and streaming services” and “integrated advertising opportunities” for audiences that watch video across platforms.
TV by the Numbers has powered the TV Ratings editorial content on Tribune’s Zap2it site since 2010. Zap2it now provides “universal search” by tying together data from TV listings and popular streaming services such as Netflix, Amazon and Hulu, Tribune said, noting that the site attracts more than 7.5 million monthly users.
Tribune said the deal will complement the digital unit’s entertainment data business, which already includes Gracenote (acquired from Sony last month) and Tribune Media Services (TMS).
That content will be used to power entertainment websites, such as Zap2it, as well as licensed to third-party apps and services, the company said.
“Our goal is to make TV by the Numbers a must-have analytics and data resource for passionate viewers and Hollywood insiders alike,” said Shashi Seth, president of Tribune Digital Ventures, in a statement. “Viewership numbers, audience reviews and social data are increasingly becoming reliable indicators of TV show popularity, making TV by the Numbers analysis data essential to the evolving ecosystem.”
