AD Agencies
Dentsu India rejigs leadership, elevates Divya Karani & Kartik Iyer
MUMBAI: Dentsu International has made key leadership changes in India as part of its global organisational redesign. Media Brands and Amplifi erstwhile president Kartik Iyer will now join the network’s market leadership team as its chief operating officer. He will continue to report into Anand Bhadkamkar and will be instrumental in driving the implementation of dentsu’s new business model within the country.
Iyer will help navigate Dentsu’s global transformation program with a focus on collaborating with leaders and client teams across businesses in the market to change how the network works and inculcate the culture of operational excellence. He will engage with regional teams, global teams, and all other network brands to ensure that the ongoing transformation program and the new business model is efficiently adopted and effectively addresses local business requirements.
The network has also appointed Dentsu X India CEO Divya Karani as the chief executive officer for media, south Asia. Here, media includes the agencies dentsu X, Carat, iProspect and Posterscope. She will continue to report into Anand Bhadkamkar. In this additional role, Karani will be responsible for driving the global media strategy and delivery in south Asia, ensuring its alignment and relevance to the market..
“Dentsu is committed to delivering the best to its clients and Kartik and Divya are veterans in what they do,” said Bhadkamkar. “Kartik is recognised industry-wide for his media expertise while Divya is one of our finest from the industry. Her strength lies in delivering first-class, client-centric results and I am confident that their expertise and experience will only help accelerate the effectiveness, purpose, and performance offered to our clients.”
Haresh Nayak will continue to serve as COO for dentsu Media in India in addition to his other current roles as president, Posterscope Asia Pacific and MD, Posterscope India, while Rubeena Singh is now in-charge of the freshly rebranded iProspect. For the record, the agency recently witnessed the merger of Vizeum and iProspect into one to bring together the former’s media strategy and planning, storytelling, and brand-building capabilities with the latter’s digital expertise, audience knowledge, and performance mindset. Anita Kotwani will continue to lead the Carat brand for India.
AD Agencies
Publicis Groupe to acquire 160over90 from WME Group
Deal aims to build data-led platform linking brands, fans and culture at scale
MUMBAI: Publicis Groupe has agreed to acquire 160over90 from WME Group, in a move that signals a major push into the fast-growing world of sports and culture-led marketing.
The deal, subject to regulatory approvals, will see Publicis combine its existing Publicis Sports capabilities with 160over90’s global footprint to create what it calls a unified, end-to-end platform connecting brands with audiences through sport, entertainment and culture.
Founded as a division of WME Group, 160over90 has built a reputation for delivering high-impact campaigns across some of the world’s biggest sporting moments, including the Super Bowl, Olympic Games and FIFA World Cup. With over 670 employees across the US, UK, EMEA and Apac, the agency works with global brands to create experiences that resonate both on and off the field.
The acquisition reflects a broader shift in marketing, where sport has become a central pillar of premium media. With the global sports media market estimated at $150 billion and sponsorships crossing $90 billion, brands are increasingly looking for more integrated ways to engage audiences.
Publicis is betting that a data-led approach will be the differentiator. By integrating 160over90 with its own capabilities, including the Epsilon identity ecosystem and Influential network, the company aims to offer marketers a seamless way to plan, activate and measure campaigns across media, sponsorships, live events and creator partnerships.
Publicis Groupe CEO Arthur Sadoun said, “After building our industry-leading position in identity resolution, commerce, and creators, our next big bet is sport. In the age of AI, it has become one of the most high-value channels for clients.”
He added that combining 160over90’s expertise with Publicis’ data and technology stack would help “connect brands to fans in ways that are both meaningful and measurable”.
Echoing the sentiment, Publicis Connected Media CEO Dave Penski said, “Sport has become the most powerful intersection of culture, commerce and community,” highlighting the growing need to treat sports marketing as a measurable channel rather than just brand-building.
As part of the deal, Publicis will also enter into a strategic partnership with WME Group, enabling closer collaboration on talent, content and brand partnerships. WME Group president Mark Shapiro said the tie-up would open up new opportunities for talent and brands to scale their ambitions globally.
Post acquisition, the combined Publicis Sports entity will report to Suzy Deering, while Robbie Henchman will remain with WME Group to oversee the ongoing partnership.
The move builds on Publicis’ recent investments in the space, including acquisitions of Adopt and Bespoke in 2025 and a partnership with Magic Johnson Enterprises, underscoring its intent to dominate the intersection of sport, culture and commerce.
As brands chase both attention and accountability, Publicis’ latest play suggests the future of sports marketing may be less about moments alone and more about measurable impact at scale.
