Hollywood research firm Marketcast sold to Shamrock Capital
Marketcast, one of three dominant research firms in the movie industry, has been sold to Shamrock Capital.
Like its competitors Nielsen NRG and OTX, Marketcast provides studios with box office predictions based on audience research and also consults on marketing campaigns to help determine which advertisements and trailers are most effective with different audience segments.
Its prior owner was Reed Business Information, a division of Dutch media giant Reed Elsevier that also owns the trade publication Variety. Marketcast was long tied to the venerable Hollywood publication and worked out of the same offices, though the two companies were managed separately.
The news comes as RBI is also attempting to sell Variety, following the divestment of other media industry-related publications including Publishers Weekly and Broadcast & Cable.
“There are many opportunities in front of us that we are now in a position to pursue, from continuing our international expansion, to launching new products for our core clients, to migrating into related entertainment sectors,” Marketcast Chief Executive Henry Shapiro said in a statement.
Shamrock is a private equity firm founded by Walt Disney’s nephew, the late Roy E. Disney, who died in 2009. Shamrock partner William Wynperle said his company hopes to help Marketcast grow through the use of the private equity firm’s “industry relationships and capital.”
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