New York, United States —The European Commission has approved Omnicom Group Inc.’s proposed acquisition of Interpublic Group of Companies Inc. (IPG), concluding that the deal does not raise competition issues under the EU Merger Regulation.
The assessment reviewed both companies’ activities across advertising, marketing, and communications—specifically marketing communication services (MCS), which cover creative campaign development, and media buying services (MBS), which involve purchasing advertising space on behalf of clients.
In its analysis, the Commission evaluated the merger’s potential impact on national markets across the European Economic Area.
It found that the combined group would hold only moderate market shares and would continue to face strong competitive pressure from global networks including WPP, Dentsu-Aegis, Publicis, and Havas.
The Commission also determined that clients would retain considerable ability to switch agencies if prices increased or service quality declined.
Factors such as short contract terms, low switching costs, and the bidding-based nature of the industry were cited as safeguards against market power concerns.
On the media buying side, the investigation found that media owners would maintain sufficient bargaining power even if the merged entity sought to leverage its scale.
High media ownership concentration in several European countries was identified as a key counterbalance.
With no significant competition concerns identified, the Commission granted unconditional clearance.
Omnicom and IPG—both headquartered in the United States—provide services spanning media planning and buying, advertising, public relations, CRM, data and engagement solutions, and integrated communications.
The transaction was formally notified to the Commission on October 20, 2025.
Under EU rules, mergers meeting defined turnover thresholds must undergo review to ensure they do not significantly impede competition within the European Economic Area.
In addition to the EU approval, Omnicom’s proposed acquisition of IPG has also cleared regulatory scrutiny in Australia: the ACCC publicly stated that it ‘will not oppose’ the deal, noting that despite an increased combined market share, other global ad groups and independent firms will continue to provide competition.
Most transactions, including this one, are resolved in a Phase I review lasting 25 working days.
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