Below is a summary of major media mergers and acquisitions that took place from 2005 – onward.

January 2005	, a leader in local exchange, broadband and wireless communications, announces plans to buy for $16 billion.
February 2005	announces an agreement to buy About, Inc., from PRIMEDIA Inc. for $410 million.
February 2005	agrees to buy for $6.7 billion
March 2005	splits into two public companies. One company led by would include the cable networks MTV, Nickelodeon, Comedy Central and Showtime, and entertainment properties. The second company would control the older assets, including , the Infinity Radio unit and the firm’s billboard business.
April 2005	and reach agreement to buy bankrupt cable operator Adelphia Communications Corp. for $17.6 billion.
April 2005	To extend its market for creating and distributing digital documents ., graphic software developer, purchases Macromedia Inc., multimedia software firm, for $3.4 billion.
July 2005	agrees to buy Intermix Media, Inc., owner of , for $580 million
August 2005	and launch and integrated DSL service.
September 2005	acquires , a digital entertainment and video game company, for $650 million
December 2005	agrees to purchase , an independent film studio, for $1.6 billion. DreamWorks Animation SKG Inc is not included.
January 2006	announces that it will purchase , a successful animation studio whose majority stocks are owned by Apple’s Steve Jobs, for $7.4 billion.
January 2006	is created through the merger of ‘s and . Each company will hold 50% interest in new network
February 2006	buys 22 radio statiions and Radio Networks from for $2.7 billion.
March 2006	buys BellSouth Corp. for $67 billion and has total control of the joint venture, .
March 2006	announces plans to buy for $600 million deal.
March 2006	agrees to purchase 32 Knight Ridder Inc. newspapers for $4.5 billion.
April 2006	announces plans to buy an online games technology company, , for $102 million.
September 2006	Music agrees to buy for $2 billion. Universal’s music publishing holdings are now the largest in the world.
October 2006	buys for $1.65 billion.
December 2007	signs a $500 million contract with that allows Microsoft to license Viacom-owned shows on Xbox Live and MSN.
May 2009	that would become a separate independent company.
November 2009	and are in advanced stages of merger to create a new $30 million conglomerate.
December 2009	buys (parent company for Marvel Comics) for $4.24 billion
January 2010	Apple acquires Quattro Wireless for $275 million
May 2010	Google acquires Admob for $750 million
July 2010	Disney acquires Playdom for $563.2 million
August 2010	Monster.com buys   Hotjobs.com from Yahoo for $225 million
November 2010	News Corp. acquired 90% of wireless generation for $360 million
December 2010	Disney Corp. sells Miramax Films to Filmyard Holdings for $663 million
January 2011	Comcast Corp takes over NBC Universal from General Electric Co. by acquiring a 51 percent stake in NBC.
March 2011	AT&T agrees to buy T-Mobile for $39 billion
April 2011	Blockbuster is bought by Dish Network in a bankruptcy auction for $320 million
May 2011	Microsoft buys Skype for $8.5 billion, the largest acquisition thus far in Microsoft’s history.

So what does this timeline mean?

Peter Price, President of the National Academy of Television Arts and Science Foundation, discusses the implications of the integration trends within the media industry: http://www.levininstitute.org/media2020.cfm.

Martin Kon, Head of Media Practice at Oliver Wyman, examines new models in the media industry.
http://www.levininstitute.org/media2020.cfm

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