Latest in Mergers and Acquisitions

Tim Wu, a professor and lawyer known for coining the term “net neutrality” and for writing authoritative media books like The Master Switch, has been named to a White House post. He will serve on President Joe Biden’s National Economic Council, leaving his post at Columbia University to become special assistant to the…

Jack Dorsey's other company – Square – announced Thursday it's buying a majority stake in Jay-Z's streaming music platform Tidal for $297 million in cash and stock. Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter will join the board of directors of publicly-traded Square, a financial services and payments company. Square said it’s taking a…

In a move that will bolster Roku’s advertising capabilities, the streaming company has acquired Nielsen’s Advanced Video Advertising unit. Terms for the deal were not disclosed. A person familiar with the transaction described it as “not material” to the overall business of Roku, whose market value is $53 billion…

UPDATED with details from analysts’ call:  WarnerMedia parent AT&T has clinched hotly anticipated deal to sell a significant minority stake in satellite broadcaster DirecTV to private equity group TPG in a deal that will net the telecom giant $7.8 billion. The deal, expected to close in the second half of 2021, values…

The Second City, the famed Chicago improv comedy outfit, has been acquired by private equity firm ZMC, whose founder and managing partner is longtime media figure Strauss Zelnick. Financial terms for the deal were not disclosed. Houlihan-Lokey served as a financial advisor to Second City on the transaction. The M&A…

IHeartMedia said Wednesday that it’s buying Triton Digital, a leading ad tech provider in the podcast and audio space, from E.W. Scripps Company for $230 million. As an explosion of podcasts is accompanied by deals to monetize them effectively, Triton will help provide audio content to producers and advertisers with…

Longtime Wall Street analyst Richard Greenfield and principals at boutique research firm LightShed Partners have launched an early stage venture fund in the tech, media, telecom and consumer space. LightShed Ventures announced its first fund today, $75 million focused on Seed and A rounds aimed at finding the next…

Football great Colin Kaepernick has entered the ballooning word of SPACs, or special purpose acquisitions companies, and will be co-chairman of a new one called Mission Advancement Corp. He’s partnering with Najafi Cos. a private investment firm with holdings in consumer, retail, ecommerce, sports, media, and…

Forest Road Acquisition Corp., a special purpose acquisition company (or SPAC) backed by the eponymous entertainment finance firm with a Hollywood-heavy roster of advisors has found its target, announcing plans to buy digital fitness specialist Beachbody Company and take it public. The transaction involves a three-way…

U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) has formally introduced legislation to strengthen antitrust laws and restore competition to American markets. The Competition and Antitrust Law Enforcement Reform Act “will give federal enforcers the resources they need to do their jobs, strengthen prohibitions on anticompetitive…

Univision has acquired Spanish-language streaming service Vix as it gears up to launch ad-supported domestic streaming outlet PrendeTV. Vix is available in the U.S. and throughout Latin America. Backed by by Discovery Communications and Harbourvest Capital, it acquired Latino streaming player Pongalo at the end of…

Broadcaster Gray Television Monday has acquired smaller family-owned Quincy Media for $925 million in cash in a deal that will land it with stations in 102 markets reaching over 25% of U.S. TV households. Atlanta-based Gray said Monday its portfolio will include the top-ranked stations in 77 markets and first or…