We find it helpful to assess M&A activity within the context of themes.  One major theme is the shift in delivery and consumption of TV-based content.  Television has long been a “closed” market, with content and delivery controlled by a relatively small number of players.  The growth of cable and satellite services expanded the number of content choices, but not delivery options.  This quarter saw activity by names such as Google and Walmart in the TV space as further proof …

We find it helpful to assess M&A activity within the context of themes.  One of the more influential themes at work today is the impact of gaming, both as a content business and as part of the media/advertising model.  Gaming is no longer dominated by the $49 console games at Walmart and Best Buy – the momentum has moved to online and mobile, and traditional retail channels continue to lose share of dollars.  This industry is bigger than feature films, …

This week at the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) show in Las Vegas, a whole area of the floor was dedicated to streaming broadband content companies.  Companies like Vizio, Boxee, Netflix, Vudu and Roku are demonstrating new hardware and service offerings to allow consumers to access Internet movies, music and content from their TVs.

New consumer research from the Leichtman Research Group found …