Publicis Groupe announced on November 2 that it has completed its acquisition of LiveRamp, as stated in the Publicis press release. The deal was valued at $2.167 billion, at $38.50 per share. The acquisition was announced in May.
Alongside the closing, Publicis launched the AI growth engine product. It combines RampID with Epsilon's identity capabilities, and clients can activate data on a platform of 25,000 publishers and 500 technology and data partners. The company says it will preserve LiveRamp's identity, culture and neutrality.
US approval of the deal came with conditions. On October 19, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) voted 2-0 to file a complaint and accept a proposed consent order. For five years, both companies must ensure non-discriminatory access to and support for LiveRamp products, and Publicis must set up a firewall to keep it from accessing LiveRamp client data and their confidential information. The company also may not penalize LiveRamp clients for filing complaints with the FTC.
The order imposes no structural restrictions: these are behavioral measures with no asset divestiture. It gives a compliance window, not permanent structural protection.
For agencies that compete with Publicis, the key takeaway is this: access to LiveRamp is guaranteed by the order for five years, and only for that period. Some of them are already choosing another path. Omnicom accelerated its exit from LiveRamp in May 2026, and Stagwell filed a comment with the FTC in which, according to Mark Penn, there are serious questions about data neutrality.
The FTC will make a final decision on the order after public comment: the public has 30 days to comment, after which the commission will decide whether to approve the order.
