The state owned Russian Public Opinion Research Centre (WCIOM) has emerged as a possible buyer of a majority stake in TNS’s operation in the country.
According to Vedomosti, negotiations over a possible sale are being conducted by a former advisor to Silvio Berlusconi.
TNS has been undertaking audience research in Russia for two decades and has been hit by new legislation that will require such companies to be majority (80%) locally owned.
Approved the the State Duma last week, it is expected to come into effect at the beginning of 2017.
A sale to WCIOM is likely to be worth considerably less than TNS’s annual revenues in Russia, believed to be over R5 billion (€68.9 million).