Deal of the Week

Hershey's has once again managed to fend off the takeover efforts of a rival. On Monday, Mondelez, the snack company, said it had abandoned its pursuit of Hershey's, becoming the fourth company to have tried - and failed - to buy the chocolate-maker. Here, Ed Hammond and Craig Giammona discuss what makes Hershey's such a tough takeover target and look at the broader trends in food M&A.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As the number of media outlets -- and reporters -- covering deals has risen, so the news flow has boomed, creating what at times feels like an information overload. Looking for an example? Sanofi's attempted takeover of Medivation has yielded no fewer than 1,500 news stories since Bloomberg’s first report back in March -- an average of 10 stories a day for five months. Here, Jeff McCracken, Bloomberg's executive editor of deals, discusses the right and wrong ways to cover a fast-moving M&A story.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This much is for sure: If CVC Capital Partners decides to sell its 35 percent stake in Formula One, it's going to make billions. What's a lot less certain is who's going to buy it, how the new owner will change F1 and how much longer 85-year-old Bernie Ecclestone will continue to run the sport. Bloomberg private equity reporter Kiel Porter and sports business reporter Eben Novy-Williams sit down with host Alex Sherman to explain why F1's business boomed and how Ecclestone is, let's say, a bit of a character.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The first time banker Mark Patricof sat down with Gawker founder Nick Denton, before the company had filed for bankruptcy, Patricof said Ziff Davis should acquire Gawker. Now, one week away from Gawker's auction out of bankruptcy, Patricof tells Deal of the Week host Alex Sherman that Ziff Davis has earned the right to own Gawker because it's a good strategic and cultural fit. Still, the winner will be decided by the all mighty dollar, says Patricof. He explains how he started and sold his media investment banking firm to Houlihan Lokey, and he explains how Time Warner's Hulu investment may pave the way for the next landscape shift in media.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After losing $2 billion in China, Uber threw in the towel this week, agreeing to merge with rival Didi Chuxing. Uber China will still own almost 20 percent of the new $35 billion company, which may mean Uber shareholders will still get rich off Didi's success. But for now, Uber joins Ebay, Yahoo and Google among other Silicon Valley giants that have failed to flourish in China. Bloomberg technology reporter Eric Newcomer, who broke the details on the terms of the deal, discusses Uber's future and China's obstacles with host Alex Sherman.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

First, Verizon bought AOL for $4.4 billion. This week, the largest U.S. Wireless provider acquired Yahoo's Internet business for $4.8 billion. The deal makes Verizon the third-largest digital advertising company by revenue, far behind Google and Facebook. Verizon isn't content to stay number three, and that means there may be more acquisitions to come after Yahoo is integrated. What might Verizon buy next? And is it fair to say Marissa Mayer was a failure as Yahoo CEO? Bloomberg wireless reporter Scott Moritz and Bloomberg technology executive editor Tom Giles discuss with host Alex Sherman.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

SoftBank is turning its attention -- and $32 billion -- to the Internet of Things with its deal for ARM Holdings. The move seems like founder and Chief Executive Officer Masayoshi Son is moving away from spending the bulk of his time, and money, on Sprint. SoftBank spent more than $20 billion on a majority stake in the money-losing U.S. wireless provider in 2013. Should Sprint shareholders see ARM as a warning sign that an eventual deal for T-Mobile is less likely? New Street Research analyst Jonathan Chaplin discusses with host Alex Sherman.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You may know WME-IMG as a Hollywood talent agency, but those days are officially over. Teamed with private equity firms, WME-IMG agreed to buy Ultimate Fighting Championship for $4 billion this week, pushing Ari Emanuel's company further toward ESPN or WWE. The mixed martial arts franchise was acquired by Frank and Lorenzo Fertitta for $2 million in 2000. Bloomberg sports business reporter Scott Soshnick discusses how UFC exploded in popularity and in value, explaining to Alex Sherman how the organization may grow, or stumble, in the future.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A company whose name sounds like a disease, according to investor Nelson Peltz, is trying to buy Hershey. Mondelez offered about $23 billion to acquire Hershey in an unsolicited bid that was unanimously rejected by the famed chocolate maker. Will Mondelez bump up its bid? Even if it does, will the Hershey Trust, which controls the voting shares, agree to sell the company? Bloomberg reporter Craig Giammona takes a deep dive into a potential Mondelez-Hershey tie up with Deal of the Week host Alex Sherman.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sanofi and Boehringer Ingelheim agreed to a $25 billion dollar trade of big business units this week, the conclusion of a deal that first surfaced in December. Asset swaps, while complicated, could be an increasingly popular maneuver among pharmaceutical companies, Bloomberg M&A reporter Ed Hammond tells host and colleague Alex Sherman. That's partially because the biggest takeovers in the industry can't seem to get done. Hammond explains why they've failed and what pharma deals might actually get done in the second half of 2016.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.