This year ended with a record-breaking quarter for the international media sector. Deal values surged in both North America and Europe, with many media transactions commanding high multiples. Private equity firms showed a strong appetite for media businesses in both regions, although deal volume slipped on both sides of the Atlantic.
The media sector in North America saw the strongest increase in value this quarter, with 39 deals valued at $58bn. This compares to 56 North American deals worth just $8bn in Q3 2006, an astonishing 615% quarterly increase in total deal value. European deal value also increased this quarter with 50 deals worth over $26bn, compared to 56 deals valued at $4.6bn last quarter.
Looking forward in 2007, we at Beringea are very optimistic about upcoming activity in the international media space. Although deal volume has decreased, the prospect for an increase in large, transformational deals principally driven by private equity investment is now higher than ever. In our view, the strong close to 2006 bolsters the likelihood of robust deal making in the media sector in the upcoming year..
We hope you find this report useful and we would welcome any feedback that you may have.
28 October 2008, Four Seasons Hotel Chinzan-so, Tokyo, Japan
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