Collingwood’s latest Media Acquisition Report shows a 17% increase in M&A deals across B2B Information, Media, and Events in the first half of 2024, revealing growing optimism in dealmaking as economic conditions stabilise.

As inflation and interest rates have come down, buyers and investors have been returning to M&A. Private Equity related deals have seen a resurgence in 2024, with firms needing to sell and redeploy after holding record levels of uninvested capital and reaching record average hold periods.

However, with the backdrop of political uncertainty, tax rises, and some risk of recession, the growth we are seeing is still tentative and the number of deals is still far below historic highs.

The gradual increase in activity has seen valuations remain largely consistent in B2B Information, Media, and Events compared to last year. Elsewhere, the time taken for deals to complete has lengthened with buyers increasing their scrutiny of financial performance and related KPIs. This approach is having a knock-on impact on how these buyers assess opportunities, the deal structures they put forward, and their overall approach to due diligence and materiality.

“It’s been an unsettled year so far for businesses in B2B Information, Media, and Events. We have seen activity and sentiment remain subdued, even as inflation and interest rates have fallen back and buyers return. Buyers are cautiously optimistic but wanting to do much more due diligence, which has had a knock-on impact on their targets. This has led to big differences in valuations and appetites between business models and the businesses that are performing strongly. Our report digs deep into these differences highlighting what buyers are looking for,“ said Adam Shaw, Global MD, Corporate Finance.

The Media Acquisition Report explores deal volumes and trends by business model – Information, Media, and Events – and by region. Alongside these insights, the report outlines:

●  The latest valuation ranges

●  Market conditions and its impact on M&A strategy

●  Dealmaking trends

●  Value drivers and deal killers

●  The impact of AI.

For buyers, the report provides a benchmark for their own strategies and helps them gain a competitive edge.

For sellers, it offers guidance on how to prepare a business for a successful sale. Beyond this, by demonstrating the characteristics of an attractive business in this sector, the report is a tool for any seller to maximise the value of their business.

To download the report, click here.