Publicis Groupe has acquired sports and culture-focused agency 160over90 as the holding company eyes sports marketing as its next big growth area.
160over90, founded in 2001 and a division of WME Group, is one of the world’s largest sports marketing and creative agencies, with more than 670 employees across the U.S., U.K., EMEA, and APAC. It has worked with numerous global brands on sports and culture strategies, including for events like the Super Bowl, Olympics, and World Cup.
Publicis purchased the agency in full for an undisclosed sum, pending regulatory approval.
The agency will become part of the Publicis Sports division, led by CEO Suzy Deering, who joined the holding company last year in the newly created role.
While WME will not retain a stake in 160over90 following the deal, Publicis is forming a new partnership with the talent and entertainment company that will allow for collaborations between Publicis’ agencies and clients and WME’s roster of talent and IP. WME will “gain broader access to brands and content opportunities, while we get first-look access to talent and added value for our brands,” Deering explained.
Robbie Henchman, most recently president of 160over90, will oversee the Publicis-WME partnership while remaining at WME as a senior partner and president of its brand representation business.
Publicis CEO Arthur Sadoun said in a statement that the company’s “next big bet is sport.” He told ADWEEK that Publicis chose 160over90 because it is “one of, if not the best, assets in sports marketing today,” while its expertise across a wide range of sports complements the holding group’s specialties in areas such as data and technology, media, and influencer marketing.
The deal is a strategic move to expand Publicis’ investment in sports marketing, following its acquisitions of sports and culture-focused agencies Adopt and Bespoke in 2025. It also launched the Influential Sports practice earlier this year, after its purchase of creator marketing agency Influential in 2024.
Sports marketing is a major “engine of growth for our clients,” Sadoun said. The sports media market is valued at $150 billion, per Ken Research, while sports sponsorships have surpassed $90 billion globally, according to Allied Market Research.
“That’s where [marketers’] audiences are and where they want to grow their audiences,” Deering added.
However, the systems and partners that brands typically use to manage sports marketing activities are often disconnected and outdated, Deering said.
Publicis aims to establish an integrated offering for clients that combines 160over90’s capabilities with the rest of Publicis Sports, including the Publicis Sports Intelligence data platform powered by Epsilon, as well as Influential’s creator platform and WME’s talent and IP.
