Twitter buys TV chatter analyst
February 6, 2013
Twitter has confirmed it is acquiring Bluefin Labs, a company that analyses online chatter about TV shows and companies and sells its findings. Twitter is paying nearly $100 million for Bluefin, according to reports, making it the Web site’s biggest acquisition to date.
The deal suggests a new line of business for Twitter, which is under pressure to increase its revenue. Bluefin calls itself a social TV analytics company. TV networks pay Bluefin for information about what is being said about them online.
“We believe that Bluefin’s data science capabilities and social TV expertise will help us create innovative new ad products and consumer experiences in the exciting intersection of Twitter and TV,” the Twitter chief operating officer, Ali Rowghani, said in a blog post.
The deal comes six weeks after Twitter and Nielsen announced a partnership to provide a “Nielsen Twitter TV rating” for broadcasters and advertisers.