Social Throwback 2025: Mergers and acquisitions that shaped the A&M industry

The global advertising and marketing industry reached $1.14 trillion in 2025, growing 8.8% year-over-year, with projections indicating continued momentum through the decade. Industry analysts forecast 7.1% growth for 2026, driven by digital transformation, retail media expansion, and AI-powered advertising innovations.

This financial growth has sparked a wave of consolidation across the industry. Mergers and acquisitions have become the primary vehicle for companies and agencies seeking to expand capabilities, enter new markets, and acquire cutting-edge technology. From advertising holding firms absorbing data platforms to tech giants buying CTV startups, these deals tend to reshape the competitive landscape.

Following a period of relative caution driven by high interest rates and regulatory headwinds, 2025 witnessed a resurgence in deal activity, with U.S. mergers and acquisitions (M&A) volume on pace to reach approximately $2.3 trillion, 49% increase from 2024. 

Agency consolidations tend to create global powerhouses with enhanced bargaining power, while independent shops merge to compete against industry titans. Tech platforms acquire ad tech companies to vertically integrate their offerings, giving them greater control over the advertising supply chain.

The 2025 M&A landscape reveals an industry in transition, one where scale, technology, and data capabilities determine market leadership.

January 2025

• Publicis Groupe merged Leo Burnett and Publicis Worldwide into one network called Leo
• Wondrlab acquired a majority stake in BigStep Technologies

February 2025

• Outbrain completed the acquisition of Teads
• Publicis Groupe acquired BR Media Group, an influencer marketing agency
• The Tata and Bharti groups finalised a merger between their direct-to-home (DTH) businesses, Tata Play and Airtel Digital TV
• Havas acquired Channel Bakers, an e-commerce and retail media agency
• Life360 acquired Fantix's ad tech AI platform
• DoubleVerify acquired Rockerbox for $85 million, a multitouch attribution provider
• The Leapfrog Network (TLF) acquired the Instagram page Tube Indian
• Hollywood agency Mob Scene acquired by Connekkt Media

March 2025

• Publicis acquired Lotame, a data management platform
• Elon Musk's xAI acquired X in a $33 billion deal
• Redbrick acquired Paved, a programmatic newsletter platform
• Wonder acquired Tastemade for around $90 million
• R/GA completed buyback from IPG, regaining independence
• Liqvd Asia acquired AdLift, a performance marketing and SEO firm

April 2025

• WPP acquired InfoSum, a data clean room and collaboration startup
• Acadia acquired Crush, an e-commerce marketplace ad agency
• Publicis Groupe acquired Adopt, a creative agency based in Portland

May 2025

• Publicis acquired Captiv8, an influencer marketing platform
• Marketecture acquired Serial Marketers and AI Marketers Guild

June 2025

• DoorDash acquired Symbiosys for $175 million, a retail search ad startup
• Meet The People (MTP), an agency network, acquired Yeoman Technology Group
• Omnicom and IPG merger gets green signal from FTC

July 2025

• Brainlabs acquired Exverus Media, an indie media agency

August 2025

• H.I.G. Capital completed the acquisition of Kantar Media
• Jack in the Box Worldwide and Tidal7 merged to form J7
• Creativefuel acquired Onemotion Group

September 2025

• Novacap acquired Integral Ad Science for $1.9 billion
• Flipkart acquired majority stake in Pinkvilla
• Gozoop Group announced the merger with YAAP (Yaap Digital)
• Ad.com acquired Underdog Media
• Empower acquired Ocean Media
• Magnite acquired streamr.ai, a CTV ad platform for SMBs
• Adtech company Affinity acquired Affilizz, a French startup

October 2025

• Bending Spoons acquired AOL for roughly $1.5 billion from Apollo-owned Yahoo
• Indegene acquired BioPharm, a US-based marketing services agency
• Publicis Groupe announced a definitive agreement to acquire HEPMIL Media Group

November 2025

• Omnicom officially closed its $13 billion merger with IPG after EU approval, retiring standalone global networks like DDB, FCB, and MullenLowe
• Life360 acquired Nativo for $120 million, a publisher-focused ad platform
• Adobe acquired Semrush for $1.9 billion
• Cheil SWA acquired Social Beat
• Havas acquired majority stakes in Gauly Advisors
• Creativefuel acquired Recommendation Community and Music Community

December 2025

• Netflix announced the acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery for $82.7 billion enterprise value ($72 billion equity value
• Omnicom and IPG consolidated creative divisions, folding FCB into BBDO and DDB with MullenLowe into TBWA
• Havas Media Network acquired Kaimera, an independent media agency
• Prada completed the acquisition of Milan-based rival Versace in $1.375 billion cash deal
• Havas acquired Unnest, a French data consulting firm