Accelerated dealmaking hits $66 billion as big pharma players look to mitigate steep patent cliff losses and diversify pipelines.

Paramount upped cash guarantees and fees in its WBD offer, betting richer terms can beat Netflix despite repeated board rejections.

Omnicom officially owns IPG after completing its long-discussed acquisition last week—and the new company is already implementing a massive wave of changes. Advertisers should prepare for an agency landscape where AI-driven capabilities become the norm and where consolidated services become a competitive differentiator.

Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) is publicly considering a sale after receiving acquisition interest from several buyers, the company announced Tuesday. WBD’s change in attitude could have significant implications for marketers by increasing audience reach and unlocking diversified ad inventory across popular IPs.

Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) reportedly rejected a proposed acquisition from Paramount Skydance, claiming that its offer of $20 per share was “too low,” per Bloomberg reporting. WBD’s rejection signals that some legacy media players see more value in restructuring themselves than in merging on the cheap.

Fifth Third announced that it would acquire Comerica, merging two large regional banks in a deal worth $10.9 billion. The combined bank will have about $288 billion in assets. That knocks BMO, which hold $253.7 billion in assets, including the $16.3 billion added through its Bank of the West acquisition in 2023, out of the top 10. The FDIC recently rolled back scrutiny of large-bank deals, and President Donald Trump signed a resolution repealing a Biden-era rule that tightened merger reviews. The door is now more open to mergers between large regional banks, and a new wave of consolidation could be coming.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) approved a consent order to finalize Omnicom’s multibillion-dollar acquisition of Interpublic Group (IPG) on Friday. New conditions state that Omnicom cannot deny ad dollars to publishers for ideological or political beliefs, unless a client specifically instructs otherwise. The FTC being able to put such explicit conditions on two of the largest advertising agencies globally underscores a new era of aggressive conditions in mergers, setting precedent for how regulators can shape corporate conduct beyond traditional remedies.

The news: Paramount struck a $7.7 billion, 7-year agreement with UFC in its first big move after closing its merger with Skydance. The deal will see all 43 live annual UFC events streamed exclusively in the US on Paramount+, while select UFC events will be simultaneously aired on CBS. Our take: With its UFC deal, Paramount is taking the first step toward regaining audience share and ad spend post-Skydance merger, banking on live sports’ steady draw for viewers and marketers.

Community banks and credit unions face rising delinquencies, margin pressure, and a disconnect with young consumers. As M&As accelerate, institutions must modernize tech and retain local trust to survive.

The news: We’ve recently covered a fintech, a stablecoin issuer, an auto manufacturer, foreign banks, and credit unions that are considering, applying for, or in the process of acquiring US banking licenses. Some have already succeeded, inspiring others to follow suit. And according to the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, banking charter applications have increased 70% since 2024. Our take: We predict traditional banks will push for regulatory changes that prevent the steady inflow of new banks that haven’t had to follow the more stringent requirements of the past. Banks’ long-standing customer relationships will be a central pillar of their defense strategy. Banks must increasingly leverage their established trust, extensive branch networks, and comprehensive product suites to highlight their stability and one-stop-shop convenience compared to specialized fintechs or more limited new entrants.

FCC targets DEI in mergers: New Chairman Brendan Carr warns companies to scale back DEI policies or face blocked acquisitions.

Horizon Media is hunting for acquisitions: The US agency is targeting companies in the influencer marketing and retail media sectors.

An ad tech M&A spree hints at advertising’s future: A resilient market and dramatic changes create openings for new blood.

Regulatory rollbacks could ignite a wave of acquisitions, reshaping competition and spurring innovation amid economic optimism and shifting antitrust dynamics

The deal will bring 7,000 new customers and critical disaster recovery tools to tackle growing cybersecurity threats.

Although regulators believe big banks will stay safe, they expect some other lenders will shut down.

Banks’ top priority in H2 2023 will be growing their customer bases. The result? Better messaging and targeting, stronger digital capabilities, and industry consolidation. At the same time, generative AI will start driving meaningful efficiencies.

A looming recession and economic turmoil will hinder neobanks’ ability to get in the black. They’ll have to fight to create profitable and sustainable growth—and put investors’ and customers’ minds at ease.