Publicis Groupe has acquired 160over90, a global sports and culture-first agency.
Previously part of the WME Group, 160over90 is one of the largest global sports marketing and creative agencies that creates meaningful connections with the people, events, and properties that move sports and culture. The agency has over 670 employees across the US, UK, EMEA and APAC, and supports sports and culture strategies and activations for global brands, delivering unforgettable moments across Super Bowls, Olympic Games, the World Cup and more.
“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,” commented Arthur Sadoun, CEO Publicis Groupe.
By combining 160over90’s scale and expertise in sports experiences, culture, and talent with the industry’s most powerful connected influencer platform, experiential capabilities, and data-driven insights, we are disrupting a highly fragmented landscape by creating a unified, end-to-end platform that connects brands to fans in ways that are both meaningful and measurable.
This acquisition is the latest demonstration of our ongoing commitment to investing in the channels and capabilities that deliver the highest value for our clients, giving them control over their audience connections, transparency in their investments, and real business outcomes across every activation and engagement.”
Sports has become an anchor of premium media and modern marketing, commanding unrivalled live audiences and cultural relevance. The sports media market is valued at US$150 billion (AU$217 billion) while sports sponsorships have surpassed USD $90 billion globally (AUD $130 billion). Despite this increased investment, for marketers, these ecosystems, and the partners they use to manage them, remain disconnected and outdated.
To fully leverage the power of sport and its impact on global culture, marketers need a unified approach across media, sponsorships, events, content, creators, and talent, and require the data, technology, and expertise to orchestrate it together.
With 160over90, Publicis will offer an end-to-end ecosystem where cultural relevance drives measurable growth through: integrating the full-service capabilities of Publicis Sports and 160over90, to create a sports marketing solution, with reach across the U.S., U.K., EMEA, and APAC; leveraging the Publicis Sports Intelligence platform, powered by Epsilon identity, to plan, personalize, and measure investments and outcomes across media, experiential, content, hospitality, sponsorships, and commerce; activating Influential, a creator platform to extend the reach and impact of athletes as socially connected creators, storytellers, and community leaders; and the creation of a strategic partnership with WME Group, enabling early-stage collaboration between WME’s preeminent talent and IP roster and Publicis to create opportunities across talent, content financing, and marketing partnerships.
This acquisition continues to build on Publicis Sports’ roster of sports and culture-first capabilities, including the acquisitions of Adopt and Bespoke in 2025, as well as a recent partnership with Magic Johnson Enterprises and the launch of Influential Sports, a practice that brings sports strategies together with talent at scale.
The combined Publicis Sports group will report to Suzy Deering, CEO of Publicis Sports, and sit within PMX to ensure access and unified delivery to all Publicis agencies and clients. Robbie Henchman, most recently President of 160over90, will remain at WME Group as a senior partner and president of WME’s brand representation business, and oversee the strategic partnership between WME Group and Publicis Groupe.
“Sport has become the most powerful intersection of culture, commerce and community. 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,” said Dave Penski, CEO Publicis Connected Media.
“160over90 has earned its reputation as a trusted partner to many of the world’s most influential brands, consistently delivering unique experiences and valuable partnerships on the biggest stages in sports. 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. Additionally, WME Group’s new collaboration with Publicis Groupe will deliver more opportunities for our talent and partners to realize their business ambitions at scale,” concluded Mark Shapiro, president and managing partner of WME Group.
The transaction is subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions including regulatory approvals.
