The media and information industries M&A market set new record highs with 399 transactions announced totaling $76 billion in deal value in the first half of 2007 across 11 media and information sectors tracked by New York-based investment banking firm The Jordan, Edmiston Group, Inc. (JEGI), reports MarketingCharts.

This first half tally already exceeds full-year 2006 deal value of $60.6 billion by 25 percent, JEGI said.

The marketing services and online media sectors dominated the first half's action, together accounting for 238 transactions valued at $32 billion - or more than half of all media and information deals, and over 40 percent of total deal value:

• First half transaction value of $31.8 billion has already surpassed full-year 2006 results in these sectors by 20 percent.
• In all, the top 10 online media and marketing services transactions in the first half of 2007 totaled over $24 billion, accounting for 77 percent of total deal value for these sectors.

• The top 10 online media and marketing services transactions also accounted for approximately 33 percent of total deal value across all media and information industries.
• Also, the top five online media and marketing services transactions were among the 10 largest media and information industry transactions overall.

MarketingCharts has more M&A info on other key media and information industries sectors.