The Nielsen Company, which already owns 58 percent of user-gen media measurement firm BuzzMetrics, is buying the remaining 42 percent of the company. Nielsen also hopes to complete its purchase of online metrics company NetRatings sometime between the second and third quarters of this year. Once that occurs, the two joint services will be consolidated into one. The new unit will be led by Itzhak Fisher, executive chairman of BuzzMetrics. Financial terms were not disclosed, though Nielsen said it expects the merger to be completed by the end of the month. Nielsen first became connected with BuzzMetrics in January 2005, and took a majority position in February 2006.

Earlier this year, Nielsen announced buying out NetRatings…it owned about 60 percent prior, and that deal is expected to be completed by Q2 or Q3 this year.
Upon completion both deals, Nielsen will merge Nielsen//NetRatings and Nielsen BuzzMetrics into one unit. More details in release here.