The communications landscape will continue to evolve in 2015 driven by increased media consumption online, M&A deals that consolidated the distribution landscape in 2014, and shifting ad spends as buyers pursue internet spend, specifically online video display (over search).

1. Bloomberg Intelligence
Communications Outlook

2. Let’s examine some intriguing
trends expected for 2015 in the
communications sector:

3. U.S. Advertising & Marketing

5. Global programmatic ads, or the automated buying and selling
of ad inventory, may rise 33% to $28 billion in 2015, according to
MagnaGlobal. The U.S. dominates and at $14 billion will account
for 50% of the global market.
Display ads are rising 20% a year, which may lead worldwide
programmatic trading to grow to $53 billion by 2018. Ad agencies
are stepping up programmatic investments to avoid being cut by
advertisers, who can make purchases directly.

7. Publicis is raising its digital exposure to 50% by 2015 on its recent
$3.7 billion purchase of Sapient. This re-ignited ad M&A after the
failed $35 billion merger of Publicis and Omnicom in 2014.
Havas has said that it will make acquisitions in Southeast Asia even
though it has been mentioned by Sir Martin Sorrell and others
in the industry as an M&A target. Dentsu and WPP have said that
they are interested in small to mid-sized deals, and Interpublic
said that it sets aside $200 million annually for M&A.

9. U.S. Cable & Satellite

10. Streaming services may unravel the traditional video bundle and
disrupt the $200 billion pay-TV market in 2015.
HBO will launch direct-to-consumer streaming subscriptions,
targeting broadband-only homes without pay-TV connection.
The move could drive pay-TV subscribers to cut the cord or trim
packages.
This follows CBS’s recent introduction of a streaming service for its
broadcast network. MagnaGlobal projects over-the-top homes,
or those that receive video via streaming services, to rise 26% to
8 million in 2015.

12. Two mega pay-TV deals expected to close in 2015, with approval
from the FCC ad Justice Department, would reorder the industry’s
competitive landscape.
AT&T’s purchase of DirecTV would create the second-largest
pay-TV operator with 26 million subscribers after the 30 million
subscriber Comcast-Time Warer Cable combination. Should
the deals go through, they may spur M&A among other cable
operators seeking to build scale. Dish may pursue T-Mobile, parter
with a wireless carrier or possibly just sell only its spectrum.

14. U.S. Entertainment

16. Entertainment M&A has been heating up and may gain steam in
2015, spurred by mega pay-TV deals. Even as Time Warner rejected
Fox’s bid and Softbank’s M&A talks with DreamWorks ended quickly,
DreamWorks may seek a different deal following the end of its
merger talks with Hasbro.
Starz executives met with Fox about a possible aqcuisition as smaller
networks go after deals to gain leverage in pay-TV negotiations.
RealD rejected Starboard’s takeover offer while MSG may split its
sports and event businesses.

18. Most media companies including Discovery, Viacom and Time
Warner posted weak ad results as 2014 progressed, fueling concerns
about a slowing ad market and the possibility of a secular decline
into 2015.
TV ads are losing out to online platforms that are becoming a large
component of most ad campaigns. The total upfront market declined
5% in 2014, with cable networks dropping for the first time since
2009. Magna projects a 1% dip in 2015 U.S. TV ads to $66.9 billion.

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