Big Media M&A Deals Hit $74B

Mega-merger announced deals spiked the overall media merger and acquisition market in the second quarter of this year from the levels of the same period a year ago.

Deal volume was $74 billion in the second quarter of 2014 versus $7 billion in the second quarter of 2012 -- mostly as a result of the $48 billion AT&T deal for DirecTV announced in the second quarter of 2014.

The number of deals remained essentially the same as a year ago. There were 218 announced deals during the period versus 210 in the same period of 2013.

Similar numbers were earned in the first quarter -- totaling $75 billion in deal volume. A total of 222 deals were announced versus 216 in the first quarter of 2013. The $46 billion Comcast deal for Time Warner Cable was announced in the first quarter of this year.

Some 53 advertising and marketing agreements were announced in the second quarter (valued at $741 million); 42 publishing deals ($259 million); and 40 Internet/information-related agreements ($94 million).

The communications industry posted 24 deals ($8.69 billion); recreation and leisure, 19 deals ($2.64 million); broadcasting, 16 deals ($710 million); and cable, 5 deals ($57.7 billion).

Other major deals during the period included the Level 3 acquisition of TW Telecom for $7.3 billion in the communications category and Steve Ballmer’s $2 billion purchase for the Los Angeles Clippers in the recreation/leisure category. In the casino/gambling category, Blackstone announced a $1.7 acquisition of the Cosmopolitan Resort/Las Vegas.

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