iSuppli acquires Screen Digest

Screen Digest, a leading market research collective for the games, film, TV and home entertainment industries, has agreed to a buy-out by Californian electronics analyst iSuppli Corp.

While terms of the deal have not been disclosed, it is a merger rather than a takeover - London-based Screen Digest's 45 on-staff analysts will retain their jobs "for the foreseeable future," and no redundancies are expected from either firm. Screen Digest's US subsidiary ARM, acquired in 2007, is included in the agreement.

"We at Screen Digest are looking forward to the prospect of joining the iSuppli team by combining our decades of media research with their extensive and detailed electronic value chain expertise," said Allan Hardy, managing director of Screen Digest.

"With developments in the media industry increasingly tied to the proliferation of new technology platforms and services, iSuppli and Screen Digest will be uniquely positioned to help clients throughout the TMT supply chain understand and capitalise on the forces reshaping the global entertainment and electronics businesses."

Added Derek Lidow, president and CEO of iSuppli, "The addition of Screen Digest’s vast range of Intelligence services would enable iSuppli to offer its clients the most complete understanding of the Technology, Media and Telecommunications value chain in the market research business today.

From raw materials, to electronic component and pricing, to end-markets trends and demand, iSuppli covers the entire electronics value chain. With this acquisition, iSuppli plans to marry its in-depth technology research to Screen Digest’s detailed analysis of media content, distribution and enabling platform trends for traditional and new media."

The merger is expected to complete by the end of this year, and iSuppli claim that the "exceptionally good fit" will lead to new career opportunities for employees from both sides.