In keeping with our mission to provide comprehensive advertising analysis, MediaRadar puts together a report of the most important mergers and acquisitions news each week. Stay in the loop, whether you sell advertising space or focus on business development.
This week, Trusted Media Brands became the owner of Junkin Media. Biotech company Ilumina brought on cancer diagnostics firm Grail, but faces a challenge from the FTC. And Humana acquired the remaining shares of Kindred at Home, making it the largest provider of home healthcare services in the U.S.
Trusted Media Brands purchased Junkin Media
Trusted Media Brands, formerly known as Reader’s Digest Association, a multi-platform media and publishing company has just acquired Jukin Media, a host of user-generated videos, in an all-cash deal valued around $100 million.
Jukin Media was formed 12 years ago and specializes in acquiring and licensing video content, including viral videos such as the famous “pizza rat.”
Trusted Media currently owns media properties such as Taste of Home, The Family Handyman, and Reader’s Digest. The acquisition signifies that Trusted Media is targeting expansion into digital video and OTT markets.
Jukin Media includes brands such as FailArmy, People Are Awesome, and The Pet Collective, which all run popular social media accounts. According to Jukin, its videos generate over 2 billion minutes of video views each month across streaming, TV, and social media.
Illumina acquire Grail, but with potential blocks coming up
DNA sequencing and biotech company Ilumina has just acquired Grail, a cancer diagnostics firm for $7.1 billion, despite the U.S. Federal Trade Commission suing to block the deal, and investigations by the European Union for antitrust.
Grail is a producer of a non-invasive, early detection biopsy test to screen for many kinds of cancer using DNA sequencing.
The EU cites concerns that the vertical takeover of Illumina’s former spinout could hamper innovation efforts for competing diagnostic companies. Illumina is currently the sole provider of the DNA sequencing that Grail uses, and could prevent others from entering the market and deter development of other multi-cancer early detection tests.
Grail spun off from Illumina in 2017, and has been developing liquid biopsy tests that examine blood samples for genetic indicators of cancer. The European Union has until November 29 to make a decision on whether the deal can continue.
Humana expanded stake in Kindred at Home
Humana, Inc. has completed its buyout of Kindred at Home in a deal that values the company around $8.1 billion. Humana has held a 40% stake in Kindred — bought for $2.4 billion — since 2018, and this acquisition gives the remaining 60% for $5.7 billion from private equity firms Welsh, Carson, Anderson & Stowe and TPG Capital.
Following completion of the deal, Humana is now the nation’s largest provider of home healthcare services. Humana has signaled its intentions to retain the home health component of the Kindred at Home business and spin off and sell the hospice segment while continuing to partner with hospices through its preferred provider networks.
Demand for at-home healthcare has reached a peak, and is expected to continue to rise in the coming years. Kindred caregivers serve over 550,000 patients each year.
In Other News
Other highlights from this week include:
- The nation’s biggest health insurer, UnitedHealth Group Inc, has acquired PreferredOne.
- London-based Future Plc, which owns PC Gamer, Decanter, Guitar World, and soccer publication FourFourTwo, has just acquired Dennis Publishing in a deal valued around $416 million.
- Gaming platform Roblox announced that it has acquired Guilded, a group chat platform and competitor of Discord.
- Hachette Book Group, one of the largest trade and educational publishers in the world, announced that it has entered into a binding commitment to acquire Workman Publishing, one of the largest independent publishers of trade books and calendars in the U.S.
- Industrial tools and household hardware manufacturer, Stanley Black & Decker announced that it is acquiring the remaining 80% ownership stake in MTD Holdings Inc. for $1.6 billion.
- Deutsche Post DHL Group, one of the world’s largest logistics groups, announced that it is acquiring global logistics company J.F. Hillebrand Group for 1.5 billion euros ($1.8 billion) in cash.
- The luxury vacation and resort management firm, Apple Leisure Group, is being acquired by hospitality group Hyatt Hotels Corporation for $2.7 billion.
- The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. announced that it has agreed to acquire the money-management operation of Dutch insurer NN Group for $1.87 billion.
- According to Reuters, Malta, New York-based semiconductor manufacturer GlobalFoundries Inc. has filed confidentially for an initial public offering in New York.
