• by David Goetzl  @dgoetzl, July 6, 2011

Investment banking firm Berkery Noyes released data Wednesday showing M&A activity in the media and marketing sector increased 14% so far this year over the previous six months, while dollars spent soared 68%.

The firm said there 644 transactions in the first half of 2011, up from 563 in the back half of 2010, while total value went from $17.3 billion to $28.9 billion.

The firm said five transactions, each over $1 billion, drove the increase. All of 2010 yielded only four transactions valued at $1 billion.

Berkery Noyes has traditionally released a report on the media industry, but has expanded it to include the marketing services sector to "recognize the strong relationships between these increasingly dynamic and often interdependent industries."

The Internet media space posted the greatest increase so far this year, versus the back end of 2010, with a 37% increase from 182 to 250 deals.

Publicis Groupe was the most active buyer in the first half of this year with 12 purchases, including Rosetta Marketing Group, Tailor Made and Chemistry Communications Group.

In the first half of this year, the largest transaction globally was West Australian Newspapers Limited's $4.1 billion purchase of the Seven Media Group, which owns multiple media assets in Australia. It was bought from an investor group that included Kolhberg Kravis Roberts.