Vegas influencer marketing company to be acquired in $500M deal

Las Vegas-based Influential will be acquired by French advertising giant Publicis Groupe, according to an announcement.

Influential is the largest influencer marketing company in the world by revenue, grossing $500 million in capital revenue, according to the company. The company says it has a network of over 3.5 million creators, including access to and data on 90 percent of global influencers with more than 1 million followers, serving more than 300 brands in the world.

Citing people familiar with the terms, the Wall Street Journal reported the deal is worth around $500 million.

Influential couldn’t immediately be reached for comment on how the deal will impact its operations.

According to its website, Influential has worked with such brands and celebrities as McDonald’s, Paris Hilton, Audible, Denny’s, Pepsi, NFL, Disney and Google.

Following the deal, Influential will continue to be led by founder and CEO Ryan Detert.

“I am thrilled for Influential to join Publicis Groupe — the world’s highest performing and most innovative holding company,” he said in a statement. “We look forward to combining our complementary capabilities and technology to deliver unparalleled influencer identification, content creation, amplification, and measurement for our clients — and to defining the next era of influencer marketing together.”

The acquisition is expected to close in late August pending regulatory approval.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.