Publicis Groupe has acquired sports activities and culture-focused company 160over90 because the holding firm eyes sports activities advertising as its subsequent large progress space.

160over90, based in 2001 and a division of WME Group, is among the world’s largest sports activities advertising and artistic businesses, with greater than 670 workers throughout the U.S., U.Okay., EMEA, and APAC. It has labored with quite a few world manufacturers on sports activities and tradition methods, together with for occasions just like the Tremendous Bowl, Olympics, and World Cup.

Publicis bought the company in full for an undisclosed sum, pending regulatory approval. 

The company will turn into a part of the Publicis Sports activities division, led by CEO Suzy Deering, who joined the holding company last year in the newly created role.

Whereas WME is not going to retain a stake in 160over90 following the deal, Publicis is forming a brand new partnership with the expertise and leisure firm that may permit for collaborations between Publicis’ businesses and purchasers and WME’s roster of expertise and IP. WME will “achieve broader entry to manufacturers and content material alternatives, whereas we get first-look entry to expertise and added worth for our manufacturers,” Deering defined.

Robbie Henchman, most lately president of 160over90, will oversee the Publicis-WME partnership whereas remaining at WME as a senior accomplice and president of its model illustration enterprise.

Publicis CEO Arthur Sadoun stated in a press release that the corporate’s “subsequent large guess is sport.” He advised ADWEEK that Publicis selected 160over90 as a result of it’s “one in all, if not the very best, belongings in sports activities advertising as we speak,” whereas its experience throughout a variety of sports activities enhances the holding group’s specialties in areas equivalent to knowledge and expertise, media, and influencer advertising.

The deal is a strategic transfer to develop Publicis’ funding in sports activities advertising, following its acquisitions of sports activities and culture-focused businesses Adopt and Bespoke in 2025. It additionally launched the Influential Sports activities follow earlier this yr, after its buy of creator advertising company Influential in 2024.

Sports activities advertising is a serious “engine of progress for our purchasers,” Sadoun stated. The sports activities media market is valued at $150 billion, per Ken Research, whereas sports activities sponsorships have surpassed $90 billion globally, in accordance with Allied Market Research.

“That’s the place [marketers’] audiences are and the place they wish to develop their audiences,” Deering added. 

Nonetheless, the methods and companions that manufacturers sometimes use to handle sports activities advertising actions are sometimes disconnected and outdated, Deering stated. 

Publicis goals to determine an built-in providing for purchasers that mixes 160over90’s capabilities with the remainder of Publicis Sports activities, together with the Publicis Sports activities Intelligence knowledge platform powered by Epsilon, in addition to Influential’s creator platform and WME’s expertise and IP.