Publicis Looks To Unify Sports, Media, And Talent With Acquisition.

Ad giant Publicis Media, the home of media buying shops including Starcom, Zenith and Digitas, sees sports playing a larger role in advertising and marketing. That has led to the purchase of sports agency 160over90 to create what Publicis says will be a global platform designed to connect brands to fans and audiences through unmatched technology, data, and scale across sport and culture.

Financial terms of the deal were not immediately released, although the Wall Street Journal reported the transaction is worth more than $500 million.

160over90, a division of the talent agency WME Group, is one of the largest global sports marketing and creative agencies. The agency has produced marketing moments tied to major sporting events like the Super Bowl, World Cup and Olympics. By partnering 160over90 with the existing Publicis Sports Intelligence platform, the agency says it will be able to create and measure campaigns that cover media buys, experiential events, branded content, sponsorship, and commerce.

“Our next big bet is sport,” says Publicis CEO Arthur Sadoun. “In the age of AI, it has become one of the most high-value channels for clients, delivering unparalleled cultural relevance, live engagement, and measurable impact.”

By combining 160over90’s scale and expertise in sports with Publicis’ influencer platform, experiential capabilities, and data assets, Sadoun says they are creating a unified, end-to-end platform that connects brands to fans in ways that are both meaningful and measurable. 

As part of the deal, Publicis is also forming a strategic partnership with WME, enabling early-stage collaboration between talent on WME’s roster and Publicis, to create opportunities across talent, content financing, and marketing partnerships. 

The sports media market is valued at $150 billion, while sports sponsorships have surpassed $90 billion globally. Despite this increased investment, for marketers, these ecosystems, and the partners they use to manage them, can be disconnected. Publicis believes it can solve that with a unified approach across media, sponsorships, events, content, creators, and talent, and require the data, technology, and expertise to orchestrate it together.

“As brands invest more in the space, Publicis Groupe and 160over90 are uniquely positioned to advance and integrate sports marketing as an addressable and measurable channel, not just across media, but sponsorships, talent, and live activations,” says Dave Penski, CEO of Publicis Connected Media.

Mark Shapiro, President and Managing Partner of WME Group, says their deal with Publicis will also help 160over90 grow even larger.

“Combining forces with Publicis Sports will create an unmatched offering for brands looking to move faster and create deeper connections with sports fans, properties, and content,” Shapiro says. And he believes the collaboration between the two companies will create more opportunities for WME talent and partners to scale their businesses.