Omnicom–IPG merger enters final stretch with EU nod pending: Full timeline here

The merger of Omnicom Group and Interpublic Group (IPG) is entering its endgame, with only a final nod from European regulators pending. 

Valued at roughly $13.5 billion, the deal has already secured approvals in the United States, the United Kingdom, India, Australia and other key markets. Once consummated, the combination will create the world’s largest advertising agency holding company, leapfrogging current industry leaders like WPP, and unite some of the globe’s biggest marketing agencies under one umbrella. 

The merger process, nearly a year in the making, included intense restructuring at both Omnicom and IPG as they prepare to integrate operations on a global scale. 

In India, where both networks command extensive portfolios, agencies and employees are bracing for sweeping changes as the two giants become one.

Timeline of a mega-merger: Key milestones

After almost 11½ months of confidential talks between Omnicom CEO John Wren and IPG CEO Philippe Krakowsky, the merger path has followed an accelerated timeline from announcement to near-completion. 

Below is a breakdown of major events from the beginning of the deal reveal to the current status:

December 9, 2024 – Merger announced: Omnicom and IPG reveal plans for Omnicom to acquire IPG for $13.5 billion, a 21% premium over IPG’s pre-deal share price. The transaction would give Omnicom’s shareholders about 60.6% ownership of the combined entity (39.4% to IPG shareholders). 

Both companies project roughly $750 million in annual cost synergies from the tie-up, and Omnicom immediately begins streamlining operations (cutting ~3,000 jobs by the end of 2024) to prepare for integration.

March 2025 – Shareholders give the green light: Shareholders of both Omnicom and IPG vote overwhelmingly (over 90%) to approve the merger, clearing a major hurdle. Merger agreements outline “golden parachute” payouts for senior IPG executives; for example, IPG CEO Philippe Krakowsky is set to receive $48.6 million and will stay on as a co-Chief Operating Officer in the combined company.

May–June 2025 – Regulatory scrutiny and approvals: Antitrust reviews kick off in multiple jurisdictions. The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority opened an inquiry in May, and in June, the US Federal Trade Commission gave a conditional approval with stipulations to ensure fair competition, requiring commitments on publisher neutrality and brand safety from the merged firm. 

India’s Competition Commission (CCI) also gave its approval in early June, one of nearly a dozen global regulators to clear the deal by that point. 

July 2025 – On track and Australia’s nod: In an earnings call, Omnicom’s John Wren told investors the deal remained “fully on track” to close in the second half of 2025. Around the same time, Australia’s competition regulator (ACCC) announced its nod to the merger, removing another potential roadblock.

August 2025 – UK approval and financial prep: The UK CMA formally cleared the merger in August. Concurrently, IPG moved to tidy up its finances ahead of joining Omnicom, securing agreements from its bondholders to exchange or redeem notes and finalising new financing arrangements, thus eliminating any debt-related obstacles to the merger.

Jan–Sept 2025 – Restructuring ramp-up: Throughout 2025, IPG undertook sweeping internal restructuring in anticipation of the merger. In total, about 3,200 jobs (roughly 5% of its workforce) were eliminated from January to September, including 800 layoffs in a single quarter, making it one of the largest staff shake-ups in agency history. 

IPG also vacated 135,000 square feet of office space as part of a $450+ million cost transformation program. (Omnicom, for its part, had already trimmed ~3,000 positions in 2024). By mid-2025, IPG’s headcount had dropped to just under 52,000 globally.

Late October 2025 – Final stretch: As the last regulatory steps dragged on, Omnicom extended the deadline for IPG noteholders to swap old debt to late November to ensure a smooth financial transition. On October 21, CEO John Wren affirmed in Omnicom’s Q3 earnings report that “all major hurdles have been cleared”.

November 2025 – Awaiting the EU’s nod and closing: By November, virtually all approvals were secured except the European Union’s. EU regulators’ sign-off is in its final stages and expected within days. With the US, UK, EU (pending) and others on board, the merger is slated to take effect by the end of November 2025, officially creating the largest agency holding group on the planet.

January 2026 – Integration plans unveiled: Looking ahead, Omnicom has indicated it will present detailed post-merger integration plans at the CES conference in January 2026. This roadmap is expected to outline how the combined company will unify operations, align its myriad agency brands, and capitalise on its new scale in the coming year.