PMC Corp., MRC Ink New Data Deal

Penske Media Corp., the publisher of WWD, Variety and Rolling Stone, among others, and MRC are merging their respective data businesses.

The deal will bring together PMC’s Variety Business Intelligence and Alpha Data with MRC Data (formerly Nielsen Music) and the two companies will share equal ownership and control.

The announcement was made by MRC chief executive officer Asif Satchu and Modi Wiczyk and PMC ceo Jay Penske.

“As we compete with industry titans who have an arsenal of data at their fingertips, we’re proud our businesses represent the trusted independent source known for delivering comprehensive, timely, and accurate data in entertainment,” they said. “Data transparency must be a critical component of our industry and our society’s future, and this new company will leverage our collective data products, people, and expertise to provide solutions for the global entertainment community.”

MRC Data provides data and analytics to the entertainment and music industry and consumers; Alpha Data, formerly known as BuzzAngle, is a music-analytics tool and daily-reporting service, and Variety Business Intelligence is a filmed content provider.

This comes not long after PMC revealed itself as the new operator of The Hollywood Reporter, Billboard and Vibe in a partnership with MRC. The venture will be known as PMRC and encompass PMC’s brands Variety, Rolling Stone and Music Business Worldwide. PMRC’s day-to-day operations will be led by PMC.

They also announced a second venture — a content partnership that will produce television, film and other formats with access to intellectual property across the portfolio of brands. That “long-form content alliance” will be overseen by MRC, which already has produced award-winning titles including the Emmy-nominated “Ozark”; “The Outsider”; “The Great,” and “The Golden Globe Awards,” as well as the films “Knives Out,” “Ted” and “Baby Driver.”

PMC has been particularly active over the past few months. In May, PMC made a strategic investment in event management and technical production agency LDJ Productions and a month earlier it revealed it was launching Sportico, a digital content platform providing sports industry news, data, information and live media.

For more, see:

PMC Takes Full Ownership of Rolling Stone

PMC Invests in Event and Production Agency LDJ

Penske Media Launching Sportico

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