Publicis Groupe declares it has finalized an agreement to purchase 160over90, the worldwide agency focused on sports and culture.

This purchase further expands Publicis Sports' collection of sports and culture-centric services, incorporating the acquisitions of Adopt and Bespoke in 2025, alongside a recent collaboration with Magic Johnson Enterprises and the establishment of Influential Sports, an innovative practice that integrates sports strategies with talent on a large scale.

The merged Publicis Sports group will answer to Suzy Deering, who is the CEO of Publicis Sports. Robbie Henchman, who was formerly President of 160over90, will continue at WME Group as a Senior Partner and President of WME’s brand representation division, managing the strategic alliance between WME Group and Publicis Groupe.

160over90, part of WME Group, is among the largest worldwide sports marketing and creative agencies focused on forging significant connections with individuals, events, and entities that drive sports and culture, the company stated.

The agency employs more than 670 people in the US, UK, EMEA, and APAC, assisting global brands with sports and cultural strategies and activations.

The market for sports media is estimated at USD 150B, whereas global sports sponsorships have exceeded USD90B. Despite the heightened investment, these ecosystems and the partners marketers rely on to manage them still appear disconnected and outdated, the company mentioned in its statement.

Arthur Sadoun, CEO of Publicis Groupe, stated, “Having established our top position in identity resolution, commerce, and creators, our next major focus is sports. In the era of AI, it has emerged as one of the most valuable avenues for clients, offering unmatched cultural significance, real-time interaction, and quantifiable impact."

Also Read: NVIDIA's Rubin Moment at CES: AI Supercomputing Breakthrough

He mentioned that merging 160over90’s extensive reach and knowledge in sports, culture, and talent with the industry's leading connected influencer platform, experiential strengths, and data-driven insights, we are transforming a fragmented market by developing a cohesive, comprehensive platform that links brands to fans in significant and quantifiable ways.

Also Read: AI Autonomy Race: How Advanced are Top Countries' AI Strategies?

Sadoun stated, "This acquisition showcases our continued dedication to investing in the channels and capabilities that create the greatest value for our clients, providing them with control over audience connections, investment transparency, and tangible business results across all activations and engagements.”

Also Read: From Silos to Synergy: Building the Future With Agentic AI

Dave Penski, CEO of Publicis Connected Media, remarked, “Sports have emerged as the strongest crossroads of culture, commerce, and community. With brands increasing their investments in this area, Publicis Groupe and 160over90 are well-situated to enhance and incorporate sports marketing as a quantifiable and targeted channel, spanning media, sponsorships, talent, and live activations.