PwC: Media merger activity on the rise again

22/06/2021

In the six months to mid-May 410 deals within the media industry were announced

By Jenny Priestley

Published: June 22, 2021

In the six months to mid-May 410 deals within the media industry were announced

target=_blank title=Share on LinkedIn class=share-linkedin>

According to the latest edition of PwC's M&A update for the media industry, 410 deals were announced in the United States in the six months to mid-May.

Those deals were worth $83 billion, according to PwC, a significant increase from 61 deals in the second half of 2020 and just 32 in the first half of 2020. The value of the deal is the highest PwC said it has seen in years.

Deal volumes continue to be driven by the internet and information, advertising and marketing and telecommunications subsectors, the report said. Private equity deals reached a new high in terms of both deal volumes and value, accounting for 43 per cent and 66 per cent, respectively.

The report cites the AT&T/Discovery super streamer merger in May as the biggest sign yet that telecom giants were reversing course on their plans to expand into the media space.

It followed on the heels of Verizon's disposal of HuffPost and Yahoo/AOL, T-Mobile's discontinuation of its TVision streaming service and AT&T's own spinoff of DirecTV into a joint venture with TPG Capital.

At the same time, the streaming wars have media companies bulking up on content, The combination of WarnerMedia and Discovery is one example. Another is Amazon's purchase of MGM Studios for $8.45 billion

Players in the media and telecom sector are starting to feel the stress brought on by the enormous capital requirements needed to compete and maintain relevance during this period of transformation, leading to a wave of asset reallocation, said Bart Spiegel, media and telecom deals partner at PwC.

Discovery, AT&T merge to create new super streamer'

Amazon enters into definitive merger agreement with MGM

data-src=https://www.tvbeurope.com/wp-content/themes/tvbeurope/library/images/tvbe-subs.jpg width=729 height=90>

LINK:	https://www.tvbeurope.com/business/media-merger-activity-on-the-rise-a...
	See more stories from tvb

Most recent headlines

05/01/2027

Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be demoed at CES 2026

Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...

01/06/2026

Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026

January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026 Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...

02/05/2026

Dalet Flex LTS Delivers Smarter Search, Faster Editing, and an AI-Ready Foundation for Modern Media

Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...

01/05/2026

NBCUniversal's Peacock to Be First Streamer to Integrate Dolby's Full Suite of Premium Picture and Sound Innovations

January 5 2026, 18:30 (PST) NBCUniversal's Peacock to Be First Streamer to ...

01/04/2026

DOLBY AND DOUYIN EMPOWER THE NEXT GENERATON OF CREATORS WITH DOLBY VISION

January 4 2026, 18:00 (PST) DOLBY AND DOUYIN EMPOWER THE NEXT GENERATON OF CREATORS WITH DOLBY VISION Douyin Users Can Now Create And Share Videos With Stun...

18/03/2026

SMPTE Unveils 2026 NAB Show Educational Presentations

SMPTE Unveils 2026 NAB Show Educational Presentations Brie Clayton March 18, 2026 0 Comments SMPTE , the home of media professionals, technologists, a...

18/03/2026

Auditel Ad Campaign Shot on Blackmagic PYXIS 12K

Auditel Ad Campaign Shot on Blackmagic PYXIS 12K Brie Clayton March 18, 2026 0 Comments LED wall virtual production blends 12K open gate acquisition w...

18/03/2026