The b-to-b media industry greeted the new year with a surprising flurry of M&A activity.
Among the deals announced in the first weeks of the year:
· Jan. 3: PennWell Corp., publisher of Oil & Gas Journal, acquired the “Broadband Technology Report,” a weekly e-newsletter, from Hermes Media & Research.
· Jan. 4: Ziff Davis Inc. bought Toolbox.com, a networking site for IT professionals.
· Jan. 5: Advantage Business Media, which publishes R&D Magazine, acquired Vicon Publishing to expand its presence in the laboratory and forensic sciences.
· Jan. 13: NewBay Media acquired Guitar Aficionado, Guitar World and Revolver from Future US, a subsidiary of Future. The deal was valued at $3 million, according to published reports.
· Jan. 23: Stagnito Media, a b-to-b media company that focuses on the food and retail sectors, was sold to private equity firm Topspin Partners LBO.
· Jan. 24: CFO Publishing, publisher of CFO, bought London-based Innovation Enterprise Group, a producer of conferences for senior finance executives.
This small rush of M&A action follows a dismal 2011 for traditional b-to-b media transactions. Compared with 2010 figures, the number of deals in the sector last year decreased 62%, to 14, and the aggregate deal value plummeted 91%, to $50 million, according to data released by media investment bank Jordan, Edmiston Group.
