EU waves through Omnicom–IPG megamerger

BRUSSELS: The EU has handed Omnicom a clean bill of health for its $13.25bn all-stock takeover of Interpublic Group, firing the starting gun on the creation of the world’s largest advertising network at a time when traditional agencies are scrambling to keep pace with Big Tech and the AI arms race.

In a decision published today, the European Commission said it had “approved unconditionally” the merger after finding no competition concerns across the European Economic Area. The ruling removes the final regulatory roadblock, with the holding groups expected to seal the deal globally within days.

Omnicom unveiled the acquisition last December, touting some $750m in cost savings and a sweeping restructuring that is expected to ditch long-standing agency brands as the two giants fuse into a single, heavyweight operator. The deal leapfrogs the combined group ahead of Publicis and WPP on revenues, resetting the global pecking order in adland.

Regulators in America and Britain signed off earlier—Britain’s CMA in August and the US Federal Trade Commission in September—leaving Brussels as the last stop.

IPG has been slashing overheads ahead of the tie-up, shedding 3,200 staff this year and shrinking its global real-estate footprint by 730,000 square feet, according to its latest SEC filing.

With Brussels now on board, Omnicom is poised to pull the trigger—and adland is bracing for its biggest shake-up in decade.