The five biggest media mergers of all time
While news of Nexstar Media Group’s plan to acquire Tribune Media in a deal worth roughly $4.1 billion sent shockwaves through the industry, as the acquisition is set to become the largest regional television-station operator in the U.S., the merger is still relatively small compared to the top five on record.
What’s more, the deal doesn’t even crack the top 20, according to Dealogic.
Here are the five biggest media mergers of all time.
1. America Online Inc. acquires Time Warner Inc.
Date announced: Jan. 10, 2000
Deal Valued: $112 billion (including debt)
Status: Completed
2. AT&T Inc. acquires Time Warner Inc.
Date announced: Oct. 22, 2016
Deal Valued: $101 billion (including debt)
Status: Completed
3. Charter Communications Inc. acquires Time Warner Cable Inc.
Date announced: May 26, 2015
Deal Valued: $87.4 billion (including debt)
Status: Completed
4. Walt Disney Co. to acquire Twenty-First Century Fox Inc. (Entertainment Businesses)
Date announced: Dec. 14, 2017
Deal Valued: $84.8 billion
Status: Pending
5. AT&T Inc. acquires DirecTV
Date announced: May 18, 2014
Deal valued: $66.5 billion
Status: Completed