Advaya Capital acquires Comscore Movies for $70 million, revives Rentrak brand with AI plans

Private equity firm acquires box office data leader

Advaya Capital has completed its acquisition of Comscore Movies from Comscore Inc. in a $70 million deal, according to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission 1

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. The transaction marks a significant shift for the box office data firm, which will shed its Comscore branding and return to operating under its former name, Rentrak 2

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. This rebranding as Rentrak reflects what Advaya Capital managing partner Anant Gupta describes as "a return to the spirit of service and innovation that made this platform what it is" 1

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Global data collection infrastructure spans 70 countries

Comscore Movies has established itself as the gold standard for box office data over nearly 50 years of operation. The business collects transaction-level data from approximately 34,000 theaters and more than 200,000 screens across 70-plus countries 1

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. This extensive network covers approximately 95% of the global box office and nearly 100% of the North American box office 2

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. The platform provides studios, distributors, and exhibitors with critical data they rely on for release strategy, financial settlements, talent compensation, and downstream licensing decisions 1

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Industry veterans join board as theatrical business rebounds

The timing of this private equity investment aligns with the theatrical industry entering what appears to be a sustained recovery period. The sale comes as the theatrical business is in the midst of a rebound, on track to post its best year since the pandemic 1

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. Chris Aronson, former President of Distribution at Paramount and 20th Century Fox who founded Rentrak Theatrical during a break between studio positions, will join the board of directors 2

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. Arturo Guillén, who served as Global Managing Director and Executive Vice President of Comscore Movies, will also join the board, bringing 25 years of direct industry experience dating back to the origins of the business at EDI 1

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AI-powered predictive analytics and international expansion planned

Advaya Capital plans to invest in the company across three strategic dimensions that could reshape data collection and analysis in media and entertainment data. The firm will focus on expanding and deepening the dataset, including in underpenetrated international markets where box office tracking remains inconsistent 1

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. Leveraging AI to automate and enhance data collection as well as build out descriptive and predictive analytics capabilities represents a core component of the investment strategy. Guillén emphasized this focus, stating that "data is the compass that will guide its future" and that the platform "doesn't just report numbers, it builds the future of cinema" 1

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. The company also plans to develop new products and services that address unmet needs across the theatrical ecosystem, with particular attention to the evolving relationship between theatrical release and streaming 1

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Private equity pushes deeper into entertainment measurement

This acquisition reflects a broader trend of private equity firms targeting media and entertainment data businesses. Private equity has been pushing hard into this sector in recent years, with Nielsen selling to a PE firm in a $16 billion deal in 2022, Kantar Media selling in a $1 billion deal last year, and U.K.-based data firm Ampere Analysis selling to a PE firm earlier this week 1

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. The business traces its roots to 1976, when Marcie Polier Swartz founded Entertainment Data Inc., establishing the first system for neutral, trusted box office data collection. EDI was acquired by Nielsen in 1997, purchased by Rentrak Theatrical in 2010, and then merged with Comscore in 2016 1

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. For Comscore Inc., which trades at $6.76 with a market capitalization of $101 million, the divestiture allows the company to focus on its core business while placing the theatrical measurement unit with a team that has specific expertise in data and media platforms 2

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. The financial performance implications for both entities will become clearer as the theatrical industry continues its post-pandemic evolution and as AI-driven analytics begin to deliver enhanced insights for release planning and revenue optimization.