More than ever, the media industry is hurtling toward greater consolidation. And consummate deal makers like John C. Malone, the 76-year-old telecommunications billionaire, are increasingly testing the waters for potential transactions.

In the latest examples of companies seeking scale, Mr. Malone has approached Univision about a potential investment in the Spanish-language broadcasting giant, people briefed on the discussions said on Wednesday. And Discovery Communications, of which Mr. Malone is a major backer, has held merger discussions with Scripps Networks Interactive, other people briefed on those talks said.

In neither case is a deal assured. But both sets of discussions highlight the growing sense among media companies that they must find partners to stand up to increasingly powerful cable and broadband service providers. As companies like Comcast, Charter — which also counts Mr. Malone as a major backer — and AT&T grow stronger, content providers have sought ways to get bigger and maintain negotiating leverage with their telecom counterparts on things like retransmission fees.

The cable channel Starz agreed last year to be acquired by Lionsgate Entertainment. Sinclair, one of the country’s biggest local television station owners, secured a deal to buy Tribune. And of course, in a blockbuster $85 billion deal last fall, AT&T agreed to buy Time Warner.