More media and entertainment companies expect to pursue acquisitions in the next year than at any time in the last two years

Readily available credit and financing, high equity valuations and market stability enabling media and entertainment companies to finally charge forward with strategic plans

LOS ANGELES, May 20, 2014 /CNW/ - Media and entertainment companies are more confident in the global economy than ever before, according to a recent survey of senior executives conducted by EY for the 10^thCapital Confidence Barometer: Media & Entertainment. The report shows 64% of executives believe the state of the global economy is improving, compared with 59% one year ago. Executives are more confident in the likelihood of closing deals (33% compared with 23% a year ago), and coupled with a narrowing valuation gap, this is creating momentum to get deals done.

The report is a survey of senior executives from large media and entertainment companies around the world that gauges corporate confidence in the economy, identifies boardroom trends and provides insight into companies' capital agenda.

Respondents' confidence in the availability of credit and financing is at its highest level in five years, which provides a solid platform for deal-making and has resulted in media and entertainment companies significantly increasing their borrowing from the previous year. Eighty-five percent of respondents believe credit availability is either stable or improving, and 52% of respondents indicate it is improving, compared with 36% one year ago. Thirty-five percent of executives indicated they have debt-to-capital ratios greater than 50%, which is up from 17% the year before, which shows a dramatic increase in borrowing. Perhaps the greatest indicator of the industry's confidence in credit and financing availability is that 51% of executives plan to use debt as their primary source of deal financing during the next year, compared with only 21% one year ago.

"Media and entertainment companies have significantly increased their borrowing the past year, which indicates a combination of greater deal-making activity, paying down debt and returning capital to shareholders," said Tom Connolly, EY's Global Media & Entertainment Transaction Advisory Services Leader. "This increased availability of credit and growing confidence in key economic indicators shows that more media and entertainment executives plan to pursue acquisitions now more than at any time the past couple of years. However, they need to move quickly – with fewer assets on the market, valuation gaps will widen."

Other key findings include:

• Only 11% of executives think the economy is declining; 25% believe it is stable and 64% that it is improving.
• Media and entertainment companies that hired aggressively after the cutbacks of the 2009 financial crisis and now optimizing skillsets and the makeup of their workforce. 21% of executives say they will reduce workforce numbers, up from 13% last year; 21% will hire, down from 44% last year and 58% will keep their workforce its current size, up from 43% a year ago.
• The two largest trends affecting acquisitions in the media and entertainment industry are digital transformation (61% of respondents) and "future of work" issues (43% of respondents).
• Ninety-two percent of executives see political, regulatory and emerging market instability as the greatest economic risks to their businesses during the next year.
• Sixty-five percent of executives expect deal volumes to increase during the next year, with 98% of respondents believing deal volumes will either increase or remain the same.
• Executives strongly see deal sizes increasing, with 52% of respondents expecting deals during the next year to be greater than US$251 million, up from 21% the previous year.
• Thirty-four percent of executives expect to pursue acquisitions during the next 12 months, a continuation of a rising trend.
• The valuation gap between buyers and sellers in narrowing, with 41% of executives believing the current valuation gap is less than 10% compared with 28% one year ago.

About EY's Global Media & Entertainment Center

In an industry synonymous with creativity and innovation, the bar for business excellence is set high. You need to embrace new technology, develop new distribution models and satisfy the demands of a voracious and outspoken consumer. At the same time it's important to manage costs, exceed stakeholder expectations and comply with new regulations. There's always another challenge just around the corner. EY's Global Media & Entertainment Center can help. We bring together a high-performance, worldwide team of media and entertainment professionals with deep technical experience in providing assurance, tax, transaction and advisory services to the industry's leaders. Our network of professionals collaborate and share knowledge around the world, to provide exceptional client service and leverage our leading market share position to provide you with actionable information, quickly and reliably.

About EY

EY is a global leader in assurance, tax, transaction and advisory services. The insights and quality services we deliver help build trust and confidence in the capital markets and in economies the world over. We develop outstanding leaders who team to deliver on our promises to all of our stakeholders. In so doing, we play a critical role in building a better working world for our people, for our clients and for our communities.

EY refers to the global organization, and may refer to one or more, of the member firms of Ernst & Young Global Limited, each of which is a separate legal entity. Ernst & Young Global Limited, a UK company limited by guarantee, does not provide services to clients. For more information about our organization, please visit ey.com.

This news release has been issued by EYGM Limited, a member of the global EY organization that also does not provide any services to clients.

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SOURCE: EY

Steve Honig, The Honig Company, LLC, [phone], [email protected]; or Bijal Tanna, EY Global Media Relations, [phone], [email protected]

http://www.ey.com

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