EU Clears Omnicom–IPG Megamerger, Creating World’s Largest Ad Group
The merged Omnicom–IPG entity will surpass Publicis and WPP, generating more than US$20B in annual advertising revenue.
The European Commission has formally cleared Omnicom’s acquisition of Interpublic Group (IPG), concluding that the US$13.3 billion merger poses no threat to competition anywhere in the European Economic Area (EEA).
The decision follows a Phase I review and marks one of the most consequential regulatory greenlights in the global advertising industry since Publicis and Omnicom attempted their ill-fated tie-up in 2014.
Moderate Market Share, High Industry Competition
EU regulators found that the combined company would hold only moderate market shares across both marketing communications services (MCS) and media buying services (MBS) in individual EEA markets. These categories, covering everything from creative development and CRM to media planning, performance marketing, and cross-platform buying, remain highly contested.
According to the Commission, Omnicom and IPG will continue to face intense pressure from rival holding groups such as WPP, Publicis Groupe, Dentsu, and Havas, all of which maintain strong national footprints across Europe.
The top five agency networks collectively still account for less than 40% of global marketing spend, according to MAGNA, underscoring how fragmented the sector is despite headline-grabbing mergers.
Leighton Cosseboom
Switching Power Remains in the Hands of Clients
Investigators noted that clients can switch agencies with relative ease due to competitive pitching processes, short contract cycles (often 12–24 months), and increasingly in-house marketing capabilities. The Commission also highlighted that advertisers, especially large multinational brands, have become more sophisticated buyers of media and data services, lowering the risk of unilateral market power.
The review reiterated that even if the merged company attempted to leverage scale in media negotiations, publishers and broadcasters in Europe still hold substantial countervailing power due to high market concentration. In several major markets, the top three broadcasters command more than 75% of linear TV share.
A New Global Leader in Advertising
Once completed, the merger will create the world’s largest advertising holding company by revenue, surpassing both Publicis Groupe and WPP.
Analysts expect the combined entity to generate more than US$20 billion in annual revenue, supported by Omnicom’s dominance in brand advertising and CRM and IPG’s deep capabilities in data-driven media, digital strategy, experiential, and earned media.
Across their networks, the two groups employ a combined workforce of more than 110,000 globally and manage billions in media billings for clients such as McDonald’s, Amazon, Unilever, Johnson & Johnson, and Coca-Cola.
Leighton Cosseboom
Global Regulators Aligning
The EU’s decision follows similar approvals in other markets. In July, Australia’s ACCC authorized the merger, concluding that it would not materially reduce competition within the country’s media and marketing services ecosystem. Regulators in Asia and North America are expected to move quickly following the EU’s stance, which is often treated as a bellwether in cross-border M&A.
Omnicom CEO John Wren has previously framed the merger as a transformational step, one that creates “the world’s leading marketing and sales company.” He emphasized that the combined group will unlock competitive advantages in data, AI-powered media optimization, integrated creativity, and scaled production.
“This is about building the most capable team in the industry and a unified platform delivering growth for clients across every channel,” Wren said in a prior statement.
With the EU’s approval secured, the deal is expected to close by late November, pending a final set of routine regulatory steps. Once combined, Omnicom will undertake one of the largest integration efforts the industry has seen in a decade, bringing together hundreds of agencies, data platforms, and operational systems under a unified commercial strategy.
Want to stay up-to-date on the stories shaping Asia's media, marketing, and comms industry? Subscribe to Mission Media for exclusive insights, campaign deep-dives, and actionable intel.
