• Hollywood Reporter, Friday, January 28, 2011 2:45 PM

While it outpaced the overall U.S. deal market, entertainment and media industry merger and acquisition activity increased only slightly in 2010, according to new data from PricewaterhouseCoopers. What's more, in part because of less deal disclosure, "the total value of completed industry transactions with known deal values declined," notes The Hollywood Reporter. PwC cited the continued shift to digital media, strong corporate cash reserves and private equity firms with "dry powder" as key catalysts for deal activity in the media and entertainment space.

This year, PwC is also predicting that the space will continue to outperform the broader U.S. market. In that context, a lot is riding on the Comcast-NBC Universal merger, the success of which could lead others in the industry to seek out transaction opportunities as well, according to PwC. Also of note, companies' interest in businesses based on subscriptions could also help fuel deal demand and lead to higher deal prices.

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