The center of gravity has shifted in media M&A, with deals moving from larger traditional media deals to mid-sized digital and data deals. In Jordan, Edmiston Group's 2008 year-end report, only
12% of the dollars spent on media deals came from traditional media.
The report identifies four M&A growth sectors: database and information, b-to-b online media, consumer online media
and interactive marketing services-a sector that "sits between advertiser, marketer and the end user." Newsletter publishing was the only category to see growth in both number of deals (up 33.3%)
and deal values (up 5.9%) in 2008.
JEGI tracked 758 media deals in 2008, down 13.1% from 2007. Deal values last year dropped 68.1% to $33.3 billion from 2007. In most deals "strategic buyers are acquiring innovative companies that transform their portfolios and help their businesses capture growth dollars," says JEGI managing director Scott Peters.
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