Media analyst Nielsen has acquired SuperData Research, a provider of market research on the gaming industry.
Founded in 2009, SuperData Research provides market research and analysis on digital games, gaming video content, and virtual and augmented reality by analyzing the spending of more than 160 million digital gamers worldwide. Nielsen plans to use SuperData to strengthen its Nielsen Games and Nielsen Esports, which provide research and analysis on the gaming industry.
The acquisition comes as global spending on games is skyrocketing. More than $137 billion will be spent on games this year, according to market research firm Newzoo, an increase of more than 13 percent over last year. Revenue from digital games is expected to contribute $125 billion, about 90 percent of the total market, Newzoo said.
“Video games have become a mainstream form of entertainment that engages and excites billions of people globally,” SuperData cofounder and CEO Joost van Dreunen said in a statement. “In Nielsen we found a shared vision of helping clients understand the changes taking place in consumer entertainment preferences.”
Financial terms of the transaction weren’t revealed.