NetRatings buys AdRelevance assets

Internet research and measurement firm NetRatings says it has acquired the assets of AdRelevance, an online advertising measurement division of rival Jupiter Media Metrix, for $8.5 million. The assets include AdRelevance's services, employees, historical data and clients as well as patent applications, trademarks and copyrights. NetRatings said Will Hodgman, the former president of the Jupiter Media Metrix Measurement Group will become part of NetRatings' management team, reporting to Chief Executive William Pulver.

Founded in 1998, Seattle-based AdRelevance specializes in online advertising data for an array of customers that include Web publishers, ad agencies and financial analysts. The acquisition comes two months after NetRatings called off its acquisition of Jupiter, partly to scrutiny from the Federal Trade Commission. NetRatings had planned to acquire its N.Y.-based rival for about $71 million.