Top media mergers and acquisitions of 2026
Every verified merger and acquisition in the media sector in this period, ranked by disclosed value. Updated every morning.
We tracked 26 deals in the media sector in 2026, 19 of them with a disclosed value, worth $146.2bn in total. The largest was Paramount Skydance (now Skydance Corp.)'s $110bn deal for Warner Bros. Discovery, ahead of Fox Corporation and Roku, Inc. at $22bn.
Top media mergers and acquisitions of 2026
- 16 OctParamount Skydance (now Skydance Corp.) → Warner Bros. DiscoveryParamount completes US$110bn takeover of Warner Bros. DiscoveryMediaCompleted$110bn
- 214 OctFox Corporation → Roku, Inc.Roku and Fox shareholders back US$22bn streaming mergerMedia / StreamingIn review$22bn
- 314 OctMubadala Capital → Clear Channel Outdoor HoldingsMubadala Capital completes $6.2bn take-private of Clear Channel OutdoorMedia / Out-of-home advertisingCompleted$6.2bn
- 43 MayMittal family (Westview Cricket) and Adar Poonawalla → Rajasthan Royals (Royals Sports Group)Mittals and Poonawalla agree US$1.65bn deal for Rajasthan RoyalsMedia / Sports franchisesIn review$1.7bn
- 511 MayApollo Global Management → Emerald Holding, Inc. and QuestexApollo takes Emerald private in US$1.5bn events roll-upMedia / B2B eventsCompleted$1.5bn
- 616 SeptClearlake Capital → Chelsea FC (Boehly and Walter stakes)Clearlake takes full control of Chelsea in £950m buyout of co-ownersMedia / SportsAgreed$1.3bn
- 76 MarAxel Springer SE → Telegraph Media GroupAxel Springer agrees £575m deal for the TelegraphMedia / NewspapersCompleted$767m
- 810 AugI Squared Capital (OOH BidCo) → oOh!media LimitedI Squared agrees A$1.04bn takeover of oOh!mediaMedia / Out-of-home advertisingAgreed$730m
- 930 JanNine Entertainment Co. Holdings Limited → QMS MediaNine agrees A$850m deal for QMS MediaMedia / Outdoor advertisingCompleted$596m
- 1011 AugNational CineMedia → CaptivateNational CineMedia buys Captivate for US$275mMedia / AdvertisingCompleted$275m
- 1119 MarNippon Television Holdings, Inc. → KANAMEL Inc.Nippon TV agrees ¥37bn buyout of production group KANAMELMedia / Advertising and content productionCompleted$235m
- 1216 AprKingdom Holding Company → Al-Hilal Club Company (70%)Kingdom Holding agrees SAR840m deal for 70% of Al-HilalMedia / Professional footballCompleted$224m
- 1325 MarLY Corporation (via LAAA Investment) → Kakao Games Corp.LY Corporation takes control of Kakao GamesMedia / Video gamesCompleted$200m
- 1421 MayIntegrated Media Company (VantageCo Limited) → Playstack Limited (TruFin's 84.5% stake)TruFin agrees £125m sale of Balatro publisher PlaystackMedia / Video game publishingCompleted$168m
- 1510 AugWEBTOON Entertainment Inc. → RI Games Holdings Inc.WEBTOON agrees KRW 150bn deal for control of RI GamesMedia / Video gamesAgreed$106m
- 1613 MayAkatsuki Inc. → SUNNY SIDE UP GROUP Inc.Akatsuki takes control of Sunny Side Up in IP mergerMedia / PR and entertainment IPCompleted$80m
- 175 JanUniversal Music Group → Excel EntertainmentUniversal Music takes 30% of Bollywood studio ExcelMedia / Film and musicCompleted$80m
- 1827 MayAdvaya Capital (Flix Buyer Inc.) → Comscore Movies and Hollywood SoftwareAdvaya buys Comscore's movie data unit for US$70mMedia / Box office dataCompleted$70m
- 1930 AprSanoma Corporation → Vicens VivesSanoma buys Vicens Vives for €40mMedia / Educational publishingCompleted$47m
- 2024 SeptVerlagsgruppe Georg von Holtzbrinck → Zeit Verlagsgruppe (50% stake)Cartel office clears Holtzbrinck's full takeover of Die ZeitMediaCompletedUndisclosed
- 2114 SeptCarolwood LP → Thryv print directories businessThryv sells print directories to CarolwoodMedia / PublishingAgreedUndisclosed
- 2219 AugEQT (Mid-Market Opportunities) → Melbourne Storm (majority stake)EQT agrees to take majority stake in Melbourne StormMedia / Professional sportAgreedUndisclosed
- 236 JulCVC Capital Partners (CVC Capital Partners IX) → DistroKidCVC agrees to buy majority of music distributor DistroKidMedia / Music distributionAgreedUndisclosed
- 2414 AprTPG (TPG Capital and TPG Sports) → LearfieldTPG agrees to buy college sports media group LearfieldMedia / Sports media and technologyAgreedUndisclosed
- 2523 MarPrimary Wave Music → Kobalt Music GroupPrimary Wave agrees to buy KobaltMedia / Music publishingCompletedUndisclosed
- 2610 MarTaarifa Ltd (Rostam Aziz) → NPRT Holdings Africa Limited (54.08% of Nation Media Group PLC)Rostam Aziz's Taarifa agrees to buy control of Nation Media GroupMedia / Publishing and broadcastingCompletedUndisclosed