Publicis Groupe has agreed to acquire US-based data collaboration platform LiveRamp in an all-cash deal valued at approximately $2.2 billion, as the company deepens its push into AI-driven marketing and data infrastructure.
Under the terms of the agreement, Publicis will acquire LiveRamp at $38.50 per share, representing nearly a 30% premium over the company’s closing share price on May 15. The transaction has been unanimously approved by the boards of both companies and is expected to close by the end of 2026, subject to shareholder and regulatory approvals.
Publicis said the acquisition would strengthen its capabilities in “data co-creation”, a process that allows companies to combine multiple data sources securely to build AI-ready systems and smarter agents. The move also builds on the company’s earlier acquisition of Epsilon in 2019 as it expands its AI and identity-driven marketing ecosystem.
LiveRamp connects more than 25,000 publisher domains and over 500 technology and data partners across 14 markets, enabling brands, retailers and media platforms to collaborate on data without exposing sensitive consumer information.
Publicis also raised its 2027–2028 growth targets following the announcement, projecting higher net revenue and earnings-per-share growth on the back of the acquisition.
Arthur Sadoun, Chairman and CEO of Publicis Groupe commented, “LiveRamp joining Publicis Groupe is the latest demonstration of our commitment to investing in new talent and innovation, ahead of market shifts. After acquiring Epsilon in 2019 in the name of personalization at scale and enabling our clients to take back control of their data from the walled gardens, by shifting from cookies to identity, once again we are looking ahead to what’s next.”
He also added, “By building the future of data co-creation, we’re empowering our clients to generate new, exclusive and proprietary data, to build the smartest, most differentiated AI agents on top of the leading LLMs. It will be valuable for our clients’ business growth, and a new addressable market for Publicis.”
He further stated, “Thanks to the Power of One, we expect to be able to quickly unite and deploy LiveRamp’s capabilities globally for clients. Adding it to our ecosystem of Publicis Sapient, Epsilon, and Marcel, means we will go even further, and faster, in delivering agentic transformation to clients, whatever their stage of enterprise readiness, safely, transparently, and in their own environments.”
“Beyond its technology platform, LiveRamp is a team of outstanding talent that we have had the opportunity to work closely with through our strategic partnership. We’re looking forward to welcoming them all to the Publicis family,” he concluded.
Scott Howe, CEO of LiveRamp, commented, “We are thrilled to announce our agreement with Publicis, marking the beginning of an exciting new chapter for LiveRamp and all our stakeholders. Our customers and partners have always been our North Star, and by joining forces with Publicis, we will have greater resources and flexibility to scale our business, continue innovating our platform, and help them unlock even greater value from their data.”
He further added, “This transaction also represents the best path forward for our shareholders, delivering significant and certain cash value at a compelling premium. Above all, this outcome is a testament to our employees, whose hard work and dedication have made LiveRamp the trusted partner it is today, and who will have new opportunities to grow and thrive as part of a global industry leader.”
