Rentrak
| Company type | Public (until 2016) |
|---|---|
| Industry | Media measurement and research services |
| Founded | 1977 |
| Founder | Ron Berger |
| Defunct | February 2016 |
| Fate | Acquired by comScore |
| Headquarters | Portland , United States |
Area served | International |
Key people | Bill Livek (CEO), David Chemerow (COO/CFO) |
| Products | Media metrics, box office ticket sales data, video on demand analytics, entertainment rankings |
| Parent | comScore (from February 2016) |
Rentrak Corporation operates as an international firm specializing in media measurement and research services tailored for the entertainment sector. Its headquarters are located in Portland, Oregon, with additional offices situated both within the United States and abroad.
In an all-stock transaction valued at $768 million, comScore completed the acquisition of Rentrak in February 2016.
Company information
Rentrak delivers essential metrics that function as database currencies, facilitating the assessment and commercialization of entertainment content across various platforms such as box office, multi-screen television, and home video markets. The company monitors viewing patterns from a network exceeding 35 million televisions spanning all 210 U.S. markets. It stands out by providing video on demand analytics derived from set-top box data and holds exclusive rights to supply real-time global box office ticket sales insights. Each week, Rentrak releases entertainment rankings highlighting the top ten performers in categories including box office, video on demand, DVD sales and rentals, video game sales, and television engagement.
History
The origins of Rentrak trace back to 1977 with the establishment of National Video, a nationwide video rental chain. Ron Berger, the founder, introduced the pay-per-transaction (PPT) model that allowed studios and retailers to lease movie titles instead of purchasing them outright. The company went public in 1986.
In response to competitive pressures from Blockbuster Video in 1988, Berger divested the National Video franchise and rebranded the enterprise as Rentrak. Berger stepped down as CEO in 2000; following him, Paul Rosenbaum served until June 2009 before Bill Livek took over, extending his leadership contract through mid-2015 alongside COO/CFO David Chemerow.
December 2009 marked Rentrak’s acquisition of Nielsen EDI for $15 million, a prominent entity in box office measurement, thereby positioning Rentrak as the exclusive global provider of box office ticket sales data for industry studios and analysts.
By July 2015, Rentrak’s StationView Essentials platform was utilized daily by more than 440 local stations across 68 station groups.
Notably, investor Mark Cuban—owner of the Dallas Mavericks and HDNet networks—held an 8.7% ownership stake as of September 2011 but divested all remaining shares by May 2015.
Financial information
In the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2015, total revenues increased by 32%, reaching $28.5 million compared to $21.6 million during the same period the previous year. Growth was led by TV Everywhere products expanding 64%, Movies Everywhere rising by 10% on a constant currency basis, and OnDemand Everywhere growing 21%.
For the full fiscal year 2015, total revenue climbed to $102.9 million, representing a 36% increase over $75.6 million from the prior year. Within this growth, TV Everywhere™ advanced by 76%, Movies Everywhere™ improved by 13% (constant currency), and OnDemand Everywhere® grew by 11%.
See also
External links
- Articles with short description
- Companies based in Portland, Oregon
- Mass media companies of the United States
- Mass media companies established in 1977
- Market research companies of the United States
- Companies formerly listed on the Nasdaq
- 1977 establishments in Oregon
- Privately held companies based in Oregon
- 1980s initial public offerings
- 2016 mergers and acquisitions