Struggling media companies might find their saving grace in deep-pocketed industry players ready to revive their checkbooks. According to PwC’s latest media and telecom outlook, the 2025 M&A market is expected to be “robust,” fueled by “pent-up demand which may have been sidelined due to regulatory concerns.”

• Recent moves are already setting the stage: Comcast announced plans to spin off its cable networks, including MSNBC and USA, into a separate entity — and analysts predict this new entity will buy up smaller, struggling rivals.
• Meanwhile, Liberty Media’s John Malone, a cable industry pioneer with stakes in major entertainment companies, recently sold off Liberty Broadband — sparking speculation of a potential merger between Liberty Live and Live NationLYV
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The stage is set: It’s not just media poised for major deals. Goldman SachsGS

CEO David Solomon forecasts that 2025 dealmaking could surpass 10-year averages thanks to strong demand and the incoming Trump administration. Trump’s picks for the FCC and FTC leadership roles — Brendan Carr and Andrew Ferguson, respectively — have promised to usher in an agenda of deregulation, potentially paving the way for more consolidation. And with election uncertainty behind and companies hungry for growth, 2025 is shaping up to be the year of media mega-deals.