The deal, announced in February, would see Nielsen purchase Ebiquity’s advertising intelligence business for £26m.

Following an initial assessment earlier in the year, the CMA flagged concerns over the sale and referred it for an in-depth investigation, saying it could reduce market competition.

However, the body has provisionally found that the merging of the two businesses does not raise concerns.

The CMA said in a statement: “Although both Nielsen and Ebiquity sell advertising intelligence products to UK and international customers, an independent inquiry group of CMA panel members has provisionally found that the design of the products, how they are used and the fact that very few customers switch between the companies means they don’t closely compete.”

This conclusion also takes into account the declining appetite for advertising research on traditional media including TV, radio and print, which has put pressure on both Nielsen and Ebiquity, the CMA said.

The CMA is now asking for views on its findings by 1^st November, with a final decision expected by the statutory deadline of 9^th December.