Blackstone p.e.-owned, London-based Clarion (now responsible for 180 exhibitions and conferences in more than 50 countries) extends its global footprint by acquiring the family-owned, Oklahoma-based Pennwell ($170m revenue) whose portfolio of events and media includes the Power-Gen series. Penwell started out more than 100 years ago with the launch of Oil & Gas Journal, which…
Future plc Acquires NewBay Media for $13.8m
Magazine-media. Expands UK-based Future Plc’s reach in US music and consumer electronics media. But the price looks a bit like a rescue by the hyper-active tech-savvy listed company which is rumoured to be chasing a swag of specialist magazines from the sprawling (now private equity-owned) Time Inc UK and – bit of a stretch –…
Axel Springer’s StepStone to acquire Swedish branding specialist Universum
B2C digital. Universum was founded in 1988 and now serves around 2,000 clients in more than 35 countries. Axel Springer
CBS plans Viacom merger at below $12.7bn current valuation
Broadcast-streaming. CBS and Viacom “special committees” to explore the merger in February, a move to reunite the companies split by controlling shareholder Sumner Redstone more than a decade ago. US broadcast-cable-movie tectonic plates are shifting. Many things can upset this one move including the mooted TimeWarner-AT&T merger, Disney’s agreed deal to acquire most of 21st…
Gate House Media buys Palm Beach newspapers for $49.25m
News. Acquisitive GateHouse continues to add to its newspaper portfolio from this sale by Cox Media GateHouse Media
Global Data acquires Research Views for £90m
B2B information. Research Views is a portal for Oil & Gas and Power news and analysis and in FY17 generated pro forma revenues of £27m and EBITDA of £2.1m. (Research Views controlled by GlobalData CEO Mike Danson, ex-owner of Datamonitor) GlobalData
MoneySupermarket buys DecisionTech for £40m
B2C digital. As a white-label provider, Decision Tech home communications sits behind several of the UK’s comparison sites. It made £3.6m ebitda in the y/e March 18 Money Supermarket
Phoenix private equity takes control of Capital Economics (value £95m)
B2B information. Prominent UK economist Roger Bootle (founder and chair) retains “significant stake” in 19-year-old financial research and consulting company with offices in UK, US, Canada, Australia and Singapore Capital Economics
Omnicom Health acquires Elsevier Japan’s K.K. pharma comms
B2B information. Acquired unit will become EMC K.K., as part of Omnicom’s “world’s largest” healthcare marcomms group. Terms undisclosed. Omnicom
Peak Rock Capital invests in CloudNine and LexisNexis eDiscovery
B2B information. Mid market PE firm takes significant stake in legal discovery tech company CloudNine, and jointly acquires eDiscovery including the LAW PreDiscovery, Early Discovery Analyzer (EDA), and Concordance products. Terms undisclosed. CloudNine
