Private equity is reportedly running a ruler over global audience insights company Nielsen.
The Wall Street Journal says a consortium of private equity firms including Elliott Management, which has owned a stake in Nielsen since 2018, is in advanced talks to buy the television ratings company.
Such a deal could be worth about $US15 billion against a market value of $US6.2 billion.
Nielsen shares have jumped on the news, hitting almost $24 from $17.
The Wall Street Journal: "For years, Nielsen has been synonymous with measuring U.S. TV ratings, which provide audience estimates that networks use to sell commercial time and reassure advertisers they got what they paid for.
"But its hold has been loosening as streaming gains steam and traditional broadcast and cable TV lose viewers. While the New York-based company has introduced metrics for streaming in recent years, it is one of many players in that field."
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