The Stagwell Group Announces Signing of Definitive Agreement to Acquire Leading Market Research Firm National Research Group (NRG)

WASHINGTON, Nov. 16, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Today the Stagwell Group announced its fund, Stagwell Media LLC, has signed a definitive agreement with Nielsen, to acquire National Research Group (NRG). The firm has over 100 employees and two offices located in Los Angeles, California and London, England serving Hollywood studios primarily through its global tracking product that provides critical metrics in the weeks leading up to the release of their movies.

This is Stagwell's second acquisition in the marketing services industry this year, following the acquisition of strategic communications firm, SKDKnickerbocker LLC.

Founded in the late 1970s, NRG has been a pioneer in movie marketing research and continues today with a key focus on working with the major and independent studios and their home entertainment divisions. Annually, the firm conducts over 1M tracking survey interviews online and by mobile phone across the 13 largest movie markets around the world, including ad hoc research consisting of: movie screenings, focus groups, exit surveys, ad/trailer testing and industry benchmark studies.

"We are excited to welcome NRG into the Stagwell family of companies and as a market research practitioner for the last 40 years I'm particularly pleased to add these key capabilities," said Mark Penn, Managing Partner and President of Stagwell Group, LLC. "NRG has been a global leader in Hollywood market research and we see product innovation as a key ingredient for success in a rapidly changing entertainment marketing landscape," Penn added.

Howard Ballon, an experienced entertainment research leader, has been appointed Interim Chief Executive Officer of NRG upon closing of the transaction.

The Stagwell Group LLC is a registered investment adviser, formed in December 2014 by Mark Penn who serves as the Managing Partner and President of Stagwell Media LLC, a private equity fund. The fund previously announced it has raised $250 million in capital and may leverage that to make up to $750 million in acquisitions.

SOURCE The Stagwell Group LLC