In the first three quarters of 2007, the number of media and info industry M&A deals matched the total for 2006.

Deal value also surpassed (by 64 percent) the US$ 60.6 billion in full-year 2006 value, reports The Jordan, Edmiston Group, Inc. (JEGI), which tracks 11 media and information sectors (via MarketingCharts).

The record high 637 transactions totaled more than $95 billion in value in the first three quarters of the year, JEGI said.

In the most recent quarter, however, the M&A market for media and information companies was clouded by credit-market disruption and concerns for a potential advertising and broader economic slowdown, JEGI said. The pace slackened and some previously announced deals stalled, it said.

The marketing services and online media sectors dominated in the first three quarters, together accounting for 414 transactions valued at $36 billion - or 65 percent of all media and information deals and 38 percent of total deal value.

The robust growth in Internet advertising spend has made online ad networks and technology providers attractive growth acquisitions, and several changed hands in 2007: the $5.7 billion acquisition of aQuantive by Microsoft, the $3.1 billion announced acquisition of DoubleClick by Google, Yahoo's $300 million acquisition of Blue Lithium, and the $275 million purchase of Tacoda by AOL.

MarketingCharts provides additional M&A highlights for the various sectors.