COMvergence: Marcom M&A Volume Increased in 2025 – MediaPost. Rewritten: COMvergence: Marcom M&A Volume grew slightly in 2025.

In recent years, the landscape of mergers and acquisitions (M&A) within the marcom industry has undergone a notable transformation. Where previously, the focus was on expanding through roll-up acquisitions, the trend has shifted towards more disciplined consolidation driven by infrastructure needs. COMvergence, an agency research firm, conducted an analysis that highlights this shift, indicating a move away from fragmented agency networks towards the establishment of AI-enabled marketing platforms that rely on data, cloud technology, and scalable ecosystems.

The standout deal of last year was Omnicom’s acquisition of IPG, a move that significantly impacted the industry by adding 53,000 employees and $10.7 billion in revenue to Omnicom’s portfolio. This acquisition marked the end of the era dominated by the “Big 6” holding companies. While the total number of marcom M&A deals in 2025 saw a slight increase from the previous year, with 55 deals compared to 52 in 2024, it remains significantly lower than the peak of 127 deals recorded in 2016. The Omnicom-IPG deal alone contributed to most of the $13.1 billion in revenue exchanged.

Apart from the Omnicom-IPG deal, the analysis by COMvergence indicates that two primary types of transactions are currently shaping M&A activity in the industry. The first is “mega-scale infrastructure consolidation,” which concentrates on AI, cloud, and data platforms. The second type is targeted specialist acquisitions, which focus on digital, influencer, CRM, commerce, and AI capabilities. Notably, 67% of the acquisitions in 2025 involved companies with fewer than 100 employees, underscoring a shift towards acquiring targeted expertise rather than simply increasing workforce size.

Over the course of the past decade, the analysis examined a total of 845 M&A deals, with 64% of them involving digital and data specialists. These deals accounted for 57% of the total employees from the acquired firms. The report emphasizes the growing strategic importance of data-led assets, particularly those centered around AI, identity, cloud technology, and infrastructure platforms. While acquisitions in the creative and media sectors continue to be active, they are generally smaller both in scale and workforce size.

AI-focused deals have seen a notable increase, with 20 such deals recorded over the past decade, and nearly two-thirds of them completed since 2023. These deals are characterized by their targeted and specialist nature, with global players incorporating AI talent into broader data and cloud ecosystems rather than acquiring large standalone businesses. Control of infrastructure is emerging as a primary value driver in these transactions, reflecting the industry’s shift towards technology-driven marketing platforms.