In a major strategic expansion announced in April 2026, Publicis Groupe, one of the largest global advertising and communications holding companies, revealed that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire 160over90, a sports and culture‑first marketing agency previously part of the WME (William Morris Endeavor) network.
160over90 was tasked with helping Visa and Marriott Bonvoy celebrate another successful year of both brands’ NFL partnerships. Source: 160over90
The deal, valued at more than $500 m, marks a significant investment by Publicis into the rapidly expanding world of sports marketing and live engagement. Once complete, 160over90 will be integrated into Publicis Sports — the company’s global sports marketing division — and combined with the Groupe’s data‑driven assets such as the Publicis Sports Intelligence platform powered by Epsilon identity and the Influential creator platform to deliver a full end‑to‑end offering across media, sponsorships, experiential activations, creator partnerships, and talent collaborations.
The combined platform will have scale across the US, UK, EMEA and APAC, and is designed to offer “measurable business outcomes” for global brands by unifying previously fragmented sports marketing disciplines — from sponsorship strategy and event production to influencer campaigns and hospitality experiences.
Said Arthur Sadoun, CEO Publicis Groupe: “After building our industry-leading position in identity resolution, commerce, and creators, our next big bet is sport. 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."
