Mergers and Acquisitions in the Creator Economy
Mergers and acquisitions have become the clearest signal of how fast the creator economy is maturing. In this session, James Creech — founder of Quartermaster Advisors and a former founder who sold his influencer software company Paladin to Brandwatch — walked through his firm's annual M&A report. The picture is one of record deal volume, rising valuations, and traditional agency giants buying their way into creator marketing. Underneath the numbers sits practical advice for founders: prepare early, be transparent about weaknesses, and stay focused on growth throughout a process that runs nine to twelve months. The highlights below capture where the money is moving and what it takes to come out ahead.
Key highlights
The creator economy is now a $235 billion global market — bigger than the theatrical box office, video games, or theme parks — growing at a 22.5% compound annual rate.
2025 set a record with 81 creator economy M&A deals, up 17% year over year, and 2026 is on track to break 100.
Software is the most-acquired category at roughly 26% of deals, ahead of agencies, media properties, and talent management.
North America still leads as both acquisition target and buyer, with Europe second and Asia declining in 2025.
SaaS businesses trade at 3.2x–10.7x recurring revenue (median 5.8x); services and media businesses at 4–9x EBITDA (median around 6–7x).
Publicis has earmarked over €800 million for M&A, much of it aimed at influencer marketing, as agency giants race to buy creator capabilities in-house.
The most successful founders start preparing to sell one to two years ahead — and a full founder exit usually means a lower valuation, since buyers want continuity.