In graphic detail: Inside the creator economy’s M&A boom

The creator economy is getting too big for investors to ignore, expected to be valued at $480 billion by 2027, according to Goldman Sachs. That may be why private equity firms are elbowing holding companies and other corporations for a piece of the growing pie. 

M&A activity is up year over year, potentially positioning 2025 as a new record for creator economy transactions. In the first half of 2025, 52 M&A deals were completed. That figure is up from 30 transactions in the first half of 2024, making a 73 percent year-over-year increase, according to Quartermast Advisors, a boutique M&A advisory firm. Key players in those deals are private equity firms, hold cos, influencer marketing agencies and other companies looking to cash in on creators, even as economic uncertainty looms. 

For example, Quartermast points to Publicis buying Captiv8 back in May for $175 million. In February, the hold co acquired BR Media Group, a Latin American influencer marketing and content company, for a reported $100 million. There’s also private equity firm PSG’s purchasing a majority stake in Uscreen, a video membership platform, for $150 million. The list goes on. 

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