Dive Brief:
- Publicis Groupe has acquired the marketing agency Bespoke Sports & Entertainment, according to news shared with Marketing Dive. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
- Founded in 2014, Bespoke consults with brands on the design, execution and measurement of sports marketing programs. Co-founders Mike Boykin and Greg Busch will continue to lead the group under Publicis Sports, part of the Publicis Connected Media umbrella.
- Publicis is aligning Bespoke with a “bolt-on” acquisition strategy that saw the group snap up the sports and culture agency Adopt in the spring. Agencies broadly sense bigger revenue opportunities in a diversifying sports media landscape that is growing more fragmented.
Dive Insight:
At a time when sports sponsorship investments are growing even as marketers struggle with ROI, Publicis is looking to further refine its services in sports through Bespoke, its second sports marketing agency acquisition so far in 2025. Charlotte, North Carolina-based Bespoke helps brands identify partnership opportunities, maximize sponsorship value and assist in the execution of marketing experiences.
Industry connections to leagues, teams and sports properties seems to have added to Bespoke’s appeal to Publicis. The roughly decade-old firm has been enlisted by brands including Duke’s Mayonnaise, Sprouts Farmers Market, Bush’s Beans and Sonic Drive-In, according to its website.
In joining Publicis, Bespoke will gain access to a richer data set and be able to lean on other agencies in the network, including those specializing in influencer marketing and the creator economy. Publicis has worked with Bespoke for the past year on activations around major sports events, laying the groundwork for the acquisition.
“The partnership has exceeded expectations thanks to strong cultural alignment and outstanding collaboration with our teams, with a shared client-first approach focused on driving outcomes across all of sports and media,” said Jon Tuck, president of Publicis Sports, in a statement around the deal.
Bespoke Co-founders Busch and Boykin are veterans of Publicis rival Omnicom, where they built the network’s dedicated sports marketing practice, called GMR. In a statement, Boykin said Bespoke will be able to deliver “better brand integrations, experiences, and optimized investments” with Publicis’ backing and infrastructure.
The move extends a dealmaking hot streak for Publicis, which in April acquired Adopt, a sports and culture upstart established by a pair of former Nike executives and sports agent Rich Paul. In February, the ad-holding company introduced Women’s Sports Connect, an investment group dedicated to the booming women’s sports category.
Publicis has kept up momentum even as macroeconomic uncertainty creates unease among Madison Avenue firms. Organic growth, a key measure of agency health, increased 5.9% in Q2, with connected media cited as a point of strength.
