CIMM, which explores new methodologies and approaches to audience measurement, will become a subsidiary of ARF focused on measurement innovation. 

The group will retain its current name and logo and will be led by Jane Clarke, the CIMM’s current chief executive and managing director. The acquisition has been approved by the boards of both organisations. 

CIMM was founded in 2009 by TV networks, TV content providers, media agencies and advertisers, with the aim of promoting innovation in audience measurement in TV and cross-platform media.

Combined, the organisations will be able to include more types of companies in research initiatives focused on media measurement technology and methodology, the ARF said.

Scott McDonald, president and chief executive of the ARF, said: "The ongoing close work between the ARF and CIMM, the common members each organisation holds, and the reality that together, as one unified organisation, we can achieve industry goals much faster and more efficiently, made this an obvious decision to make.

McDonald added that CIMM’s "expertise, knowledge and advancements" in cross-platform and granular TV measurement would "significantly enhance" ARF’s efforts to stay abreast of media measurement in an evolving industry.

Clarke said: "The progress made by CIMM to bring about full cross-platform video measurement, from planning through activation and attribution, has been significant. Our integration into the ARF will further accelerate our progress here."

The terms of the transaction have not been disclosed.