Q3 2024 Media, Marketing, & Online Industry Trends

Q3 2024 Key Highlights

At $1.48 billion and one of the largest transactions in Q3 2024, Informa plc’s announced acquisition of Ascential plc, a global B2B media company specializing in exhibitions & festivals and information services, is the largest non-sports related events transaction in the last 4 years.

There were 145 financially sponsored transactions in the 1st 3 Quarters of 2024 with an aggregate value of $46.97 billion, representing 17 percent of the total volume and 61 percent of the total value, respectively.

Q3 2024 Key Trends

Total transaction volume in the 1st 3 Quarters of 2024 decreased by 13 percent over the 1st 3 Quarters of 2023, from 999 to 870.

Total transaction value in the 1st 3 Quarters of 2024 increased by 60 percent over the 1st 3 Quarters of 2023, from $48 billion to $77 billion.

Multiples & Value Trends

The median revenue multiple on a year-over-year basis shifted upward from 1.4x to 1.6x.

The median EBITDA multiple on a year-over-year basis increased from 8.4x to 9.8x.

Top Ten Deals Through Q3 2024

Two of the top ten deals by value year-to-date occurred in Q3 2024. These included CMA CGM’s acquisition of Altice Media, the third-largest private media group in France, for $1.66 billion and the previously mentioned acquisition of Ascential by Informa.

These two transactions, with an aggregate value of $3.14 billion, represented 29 percent of Q3 2024 transaction value and 4 percent of transaction value in the 1st 3 Quarters of 2024.