The pandemic accelerated change in media as in much else. It squeezed the digital news operators which might otherwise have broken through to profitability in 2020, and flattened the events industries. As the virus recedes during this year, we may expect consolidation deals across streaming, news brands, and trade shows.
These are our hot tips for M&A in 2021:
Apple + Netflix: Video-audio streaming leader, just as Spotify is expanding into podcasts and video
Future + Meredith: Leader in magazines, licensing and lifestyle e-commerce
Clarion Events + Reed Exhibitions: New post-Covid trade show leader
Financial Times + The Information: Global fintech-media powerhouse
Bloomberg + Dow Jones: Bloomberg-News Corp merger?
Daily Mail + Telegraph Media: UK’s largest news group
New York Times + The Week: Consolidation in US and UK
Vox Media + Time Out: New York + Time Out mags merger
Washington Post + CNN : Bezos news worldwide
Fox News goes global: Competition for CNN
