• by Steve Smith  @popeyesm, February 6, 2013

Less than a day after reports surfaced that Twitter was angling to land one of the big fish in social TV measurement, Bluefin Labs, the micro-blog powerhouse confirmed that the deal has been done. “We believe that Bluefin's data science capabilities and social TV expertise will help us create innovative new ad products and consumer experiences in the exciting intersection of Twitter and TV,” says Twitter COO Ali Rowghani in a blog post.

But the Twitter post was very quick to point out that the acquisition would not put the company in direct competition with some of its potential partners. As part of the announcement, Rowghani stated: “we will not continue to sell Bluefin’s product suite beyond the existing contracts,” although Bluefin would continue to service its current Twitter customers.

Cutting off any worries about co-opetition with partners who also measure and sell metrics around social TV impact, he added: “We plan to collaborate closely with Nielsen and SocialGuide on product development and research to help brands, agencies, and networks fully understand the combined value of Twitter and TV.” Twitter had previous announced a partnership with Nielsen to develop the Nielsen Twitter TV Rating, a syndicated product that measures the reach of TV conversations on Twitter.

Speaking for Bluefin Labs, the leadership team summed up their new role in a blog post of their own: “Our work in social TV measurement and analytics to date have meant that Bluefin Labs has necessarily taken an objective, but passive, role in the evolution of social TV. Now as part of Twitter, we look forward to working closely with Nielsen, TV networks, advertisers, agencies, and the rest of the TV ecosystem to help shape the future of social TV. Our core team based in Cambridge, MA will remain in that office and grow it over time.”