189 creator-economy acquisitions: who's buying
Who has been buying creator businesses since 2018, which segments they buy, and why most of these deals never say what was paid.
From the Creator Comps desk. Based on the 189 records in the Ledger as of Oct 20, 2026. Coverage before 2025 is selective, so year-on-year comparisons are rough; see the methodology.
The headline numbers
- 189 deal records since 2018, of which 187 are completed or agreed transactions. Two rows are launches or unconfirmed rounds, labeled as such.
- 139 named buyers and investors. 21 of them appear more than once.
- Most deals are outright acquisitions: 150 acquisitions, 13 majority or partial stakes, and a handful of mergers, buybacks, minority investments and content deals.
- 2026 is the busiest year on record so far, with 91 rows by Oct 20, against 31 for all of 2025. Part of that is better coverage this year, not only more deals.
Who buys most often
| Buyer | Deals on record | Segments |
|---|---|---|
| Publicis Groupe | 6 | Agency, Sports & Creator Media, Software & Tools |
| SiriusXM | 4 | Podcast & Audio |
| Spotify | 4 | Podcast & Audio |
| Fixated | 3 | Creator Networks / MCN, Talent Management |
| HubSpot | 3 | Creator Media & Studios |
| GameSquare | 3 | Software & Tools, Talent Management, Creator Media & Studios |
| WPP | 3 | Agency |
Three kinds of buyer show up again and again:
- Ad holding companies and consultancies buying influencer agencies: Publicis Groupe, WPP and Accenture Song between them account for 11 records.
- Audio platforms buying or licensing shows: SiriusXM, Spotify and Amazon (Wondery) account for 10.
- Software and media companies buying creator-led media to own an audience: HubSpot's three purchases are all in creator media.
Every buyer has its own page in the buyer directory, with its deal list and segments.
What gets bought
| Segment | Records |
|---|---|
| Agency | 41 |
| Software & Tools | 38 |
| Creator Media & Studios | 34 |
| Podcast & Audio | 18 |
| Creator Commerce | 16 |
| Talent Management | 14 |
| Sports & Creator Media | 10 |
| Platforms | 7 |
| Creator Finance | 6 |
| Creator Networks / MCN | 3 |
| Creator-Led Brand | 2 |
In 2026 the mix shifted. Creator media and studios (18), software and tools (16) and creator commerce (14) each had more deals than agencies (13). Creator commerce went from 2 records in 2025 to 14 so far in 2026.
Most prices are never made public
Of the 189 records, a party to the deal disclosed the price on 18. A named news outlet reported a figure on 49. The other 122, about 65%, have no public price at all. In 2026 alone, 65 of 91 have no public price.
That is the main reason creator-business valuations are hard to pin down: the comparable deals mostly do not say what was paid. We do not estimate undisclosed values. Where a price was disclosed or reported, the record shows who said it and links to the source.
How to use this
- If you are selling, look up who has bought in your segment before. The segment pages list buyers and dates for free.
- If you have an offer, the offer checker shows how much of the headline price is paid at close and how much depends on hitting targets.
- If you want a rough value, the valuation tool builds one from your profit and published sale multiples.