WPP rallies on report Kantar Media could be sold for £1bn

Sky News cited City sources as saying that Bain Capital, Kantar's majority owner, was in the process of appointing investment bankers to oversee a sale process.

Industry insiders told Sky that Kantar Media could be worth as much as £1bn. It was unclear exactly when a sales process might get under way.

Bain Capital owns a 60% stake in Kantar, while WPP holds the remaining 40% interest.

According to Sky sources, Kantar Media was also participating in a competitive process being run in the US to establish a rival service to the audience measurement business of Nielsen, another leading market research group.

Kantar Media's current contract with BARB - the company which manages Britain's TV audience measurement system - signed in 2021, runs until 2029, encompassing the bulk of a decade in which consumers' viewing habits are continuing to shift amid the growth of digital viewing platforms.