Deals

Bought by Time Inc. Veteran Eric Thorkilsen and a Private Equity Fund

Silvio Berlusconi and Vincent Bollore, two of Europe’s most powerful media barons, have agreed a €1.75bn (£1.25bn) pact to create a European rival to Netflix and stronger continental opposition to Sky. The deal is expected to be approved this evening by the directors of Mr Berlusconi’s TV company Mediaset. It will see Mr Bollore’s French media giant Vivendi take full control of Mr Berlusconi’s Mediaset Premium. The loss-making pay-TV arm owns rights to top-flight Italian football and competes with Sky Italia

It is understood it is seeking a linkup with a private equity firm that would take over Yahoo, with a publisher then taking over the news and media properties

Johnston Press steps back into newspapers as Q1 ad revenues fall 16% — double 2015’s decline

Future used their Half Year trading update to confirm the acquisition of Noble House Media, a multi-platform publisher specialising in the tech sector. Noble House publish consumer mobile magazine, Mobile Choice, as well as trade magazines Wireless and Mobile, and complementing websites

Sky News has learnt that ICG (LSE: 138026.L – news) – also known as Intermediate Capital Group – has tabled an offer to buy a sizeable stake in Argus, which is one of the UK’s biggest privately owned companies. ICG, which provides private debt, credit and equity across a range of industries, is an unexpected interloper into what has become one of the City’s most hotly contested auctions so far this year

Waggener Edstrom has partnered with Buchan since 2008 and will rebrand the agency as WE Buchan

Richard Desmond has sold his adult TV business, including the Television X and Red Hot channels, severing his last link with the adult entertainment industry that helped the Daily Express and Daily Star owner make his fortune. Desmond’s company, Northern & Shell, announced on Friday it had sold its adult broadcasting arm, Portland Television, in […]

In a press release Next 15, the digital communications group, announced the acquisition of the entire issued share capital of Twogether Creative Limited (“Twogether”), a B2B creative and digital marketing agency with a focus on technology clients. Clients include multinational technology groups such as Brocade, Intuit, Symantec, Veritas, Lenovo and Zebra Technologies. It also has a proprietary Software as a Service (“SaaS”) offering in partnermarketing.com, which is used for channel marketing

In a press release Euromoney Institutional Investor PLC (“Euromoney”), the international online information and events group, today announced that it has entered into an agreement to sell its energy publishing businesses, Gulf Publishing Company (“Gulf”) in Houston and the Petroleum Economist in London, to a consortium led by Gulf’s CEO, John Royall and media investor Russell Denson, for a cash consideration of $18 million. Euromoney has owned Petroleum Economist since 1989 and Gulf since 2001. The transaction is expected to close on April 30, 2016

In a press release Messe Frankfurt Trade Fairs India Pvt Ltd, the Indian subsidiary of the global trade fair organiser Messe Frankfurt Exhibition GmbH has announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire the International Elevator and Escalator Expo from Virgo Communications and Exhibitions. With a well-timed launch of Electrical Building Technology show scheduled this year, the acquisition is expected to further broaden Messe Frankfurt’s participation in the building technology sector, taking the number of events organised by the Indian subsidiary to 20

Earlier this week, GroupM’s digital agency Essence set up shop in Shanghai China. Not to be outdone, competitor Dentsu Aegis Network has taken a step to strengthen its own digital operation in the region with an agreement to acquire Darwin Marketing there

WPP said it has acquired U.S. media agency Communications Media Inc, and plans to use the company as a media investment management hub. WPP said it will integrate the media unit of its health communications experts company Ogilvy CommonHealth Worldwide into the newly acquired CMI, and then plans to use CMI as a media investment hub for GroupH, which is the parent company for WPP’s healthcare specialist companies

Wilmington plc (“Wilmington” or “the Group”), the knowledge leader in Risk & Compliance, Finance, Legal, and Insight, announces the acquisition of Evantage Consulting Ltd (“Evantage” or “the business”), a leading UK-based provider of specialist Healthcare and Pharmaceutical Analytics solutions

The 62-year-old men’s magazine is said to be hitting the auction block just weeks after debuting its first nudity-free print issue

WPP announces that its wholly owned operating company, Sudler & Hennessey, a leading global healthcare communications network, has acquired Viscira, LLC [“Viscira”], a leader in digital marketing in the healthcare category

Chief Thomas Rabe looks to accelerate shift to digital video and online education

US-based energy and environment information giant IHS has announced it will merge with financial data company Markit. The all-share transaction is a mega-merger for the sector with an estimated equity value of more than $13 billion

Retro, the historic motorsport show, is under new management – with the takeover being announced on the opening day of this year’s event

dmg events has announced the acquisition of long established Pan African exhibition organiser Exhibition Management Services Pty Ltd (EMS) – headquartered in Johannesburg, South Africa