M&A Deals For 2024
M&A Deals I Wish To See In 2024
Here are a handful of deals for which I would love to see any one of them announced in 2024.
Disney (DIS) acquires Endeavor (EDR) and spins out the combined ESPN/Endeavor: Bob Iger needs a win. Even more so ESPN needs owned content if it is to be spun out as a standalone company by year-end 2024 (Iger’s wish). Disney ought to acquire EDR, sell the agency business and bundle EDR’s TKO Group (TKO) with ESPN, which would then be spun off as a standalone publicly traded company.
Apple (AAPL) acquires Disney (DIS): If Tim Cook would get off his ass and acquire the content that AAPL desperately needs to bolster its Services business shareholders would be grateful. Both Disney and Warner Brothers Discovery are congruent with Apple’s brand.
Warner Brothers Discovery (WBD) acquires Paramount Global (PARA): Sheri Redstone would be wise to sell her company to John Malone in exchange for WBD/Liberty Media stock. There is no better steward of capital in human history than Liberty’s John Malone. The ultimate, all-time Chairman and CEO combination would be John Malone as Chairman paired with the late, great Andy Grove, the greatest CEO of all time.
Comcast (CMCSA) acquires Warner Brothers Discovery (WBD): John Malone and WBD will roll up the content space (tier II and tier III content players) in 2024 and 2025. So realistically, Brian Roberts (who Malone has known for some 35 years) and CMCSA won’t acquire WBD until 2025 or 2026.
CoStar Group (CMCSA) acquires Zillow (ZG): I predict that Andy Florance will continue to grow CoStar via M&A until it is far and away the largest asset in all of Real Estate - PE Funds included. There will be a day when Andy Florance and CoStar acquire either S&P Global and/or Bloomberg before he retires and he won’t retire until he passes away.
S&P Global (SPGI) acquires Verisk (VRSK): SPGI is the natural buyer. Two legacy Info Services companies would do well with each other. I have never been impressed with Verisk’s management. The company has not effectively reinvested in its product suite, which has been long in the tooth since I first met the company in 2009.