The company that tracks nearly every ticket sold in North America just changed hands, and its old name is coming back with it.
Private equity firm Advaya Capital has completed a $70 million cash purchase of Comscore Movies, the industry-standard box office analytics division that collects real-time data from roughly 34,000 theaters and more than 200,000 screens across more than 70 countries. As part of the deal, the division will be rebranded as Rentrak, the name it held before Comscore acquired it in 2016.
According to Deadline, Rentrak covers approximately 95 percent of the global box office and nearly 100 percent of the North American box office. Studios, distributors, and exhibitors rely on the platform for release strategy, financial settlements, talent compensation, and downstream licensing decisions.
Advaya managing partner Anant Gupta, who previously served on the board of Nielsen media ratings, framed the acquisition as a long-term commitment to the theatrical industry. "Comscore Movies has been the gold standard for box office data for nearly 50 years, and we will continue to provide customers and exhibitor partners with the same platform and same trusted service," Gupta said. "This acquisition is a commitment to the theatrical industry's past, present and future. Returning to the Rentrak name reflects a return to the spirit of service and innovation that made this platform what it is."
Chris Aronson, who most recently ran domestic distribution at Paramount and was the founder of Rentrak Theatrical, will join the new company's board of directors. He will serve alongside Arturo Guillén, who was EVP and Global Managing Director of Comscore Movies.
Guillén described the transition as an opportunity to build something larger than a data reporting service. "The theatrical business is entering a period of profound evolution, and data is the compass that will guide its future," he said. "By combining Comscore's unmatched historical data and global footprint with the agility of private enterprise along with the strategic vision of Chris Aronson and Anant Gupta, we are building a platform that doesn't just report numbers, it builds the future of cinema. We are committed to helping the movie industry grow as a whole."
Advaya has outlined three main investment priorities for Rentrak going forward. The firm plans to expand the platform's dataset in underpenetrated international markets, use artificial intelligence to automate data collection and build predictive analytics tools, and develop new products for the theatrical ecosystem as studios and streaming services continue to negotiate the length of exclusive theatrical windows.
The deal arrives at a strong moment for the domestic box office. According to The Wrap, North American ticket sales have reached a decade-best year-to-date total of $3.4 billion. Studios and theater owners are projecting the summer season, which runs from the first Friday of May through Labor Day, to exceed $4.1 billion for the first time since 2019.
Comscore CEO Jon Carpenter said the company is confident in where it is leaving the division. "This transaction places the business in the hands of a team with deep expertise in data and media platforms and a genuine commitment to the theatrical industry's future," Carpenter said.
