WME keeps shrinking, selling its sports agency for $500 million

WME, the Beverly Hills-based endowment agency, continues to downsize.

The institution sold its sports selling division, 160over90, to the French communications company, Publicis Groupe. The presumption of the woody person not been publically disclosed, but Publicis announced the acquisition successful a merchandise connected Thursday. The Wall Street Journal was the archetypal to study the merchantability is valued astatine implicit $500 million.

The 160over90 bureau is 1 of the world’s largest sports selling and originative firms, known for its enactment with large sports spectacles specified arsenic the Super Bowl, the Olympic Games and the World Cup. The institution presently employs much than 670 radical astir the globe.

“After gathering our industry-leading presumption successful individuality resolution, commerce, and creators, our adjacent large stake is sport,” said Arthur Sadoun, Publicis Groupe’s CEO. “In the property of AI, it has go 1 of the astir high-value channels for clients, delivering unparalleled taste relevance, unrecorded engagement, and measurable impact.”

The French institution said it volition instrumentality “an end-to-end ecosystem wherever taste relevance drives measurable growth.” Publicis besides plans to stress information optimization, wherever the Publicis Sports Intelligence level tin program and measurement investments crossed the business.

WME volition inactive beryllium progressive with 160over90, arsenic the 2 companies agreed to participate a strategical partnership, which would see leveraging WME’s endowment roster for aboriginal media opportunities.

This merchantability is the latest effort to downsize WME. In 2025, its genitor institution Endeavor went backstage successful a woody with private-equity steadfast Silver Lake and was renamed WME Group. It has since continued to consolidate its business. Previously, the institution sold sports bureau IMG Academy, hospitality institution On Location and Professional Bull Riders to TKO Group Holdings, a antithetic institution that is besides controlled by WME Group.

As portion of the effort to streamline the company, WME laid disconnected 30employees past month.

“160over90 has earned its estimation arsenic a trusted spouse to galore of the world’s astir influential brands, consistently delivering unsocial experiences and invaluable partnerships connected the biggest stages successful sports,” said Mark Shapiro, WME Group’s president.

“Combining forces with Publicis Sports volition make an unmatched offering for brands looking to determination faster and make deeper connections with sports fans, properties, and content.”

This latest acquisition by Publicis expands the company’s involvement successful sports. Last year, it besides acquired sports agencies Adopt and Bespoke.