Stagwell acquires Freestar to bolster publisher ad sales
Stagwell, a US-based agency group, has completed the acquisition of Freestar, a publisher monetization platform, marking a strategic move closer to the sell-side of the advertising ecosystem. The deal, announced on October 26, 2026, gives Stagwell access to Freestar's technology, services, and customer relationships, including a network of over 1,000 publishers such as Fortune, Boston Globe Media, The Associated Press, and Essence. Freestar processes nearly one billion ad requests daily. Stagwell aims to leverage this to enhance its audience intelligence, shorten supply paths, and support its AI Media Machine for agentic media buying. Freestar will continue to operate independently under its existing leadership and brand, with Stagwell promising not to interfere in its relationships with DSPs, SSPs, or other ad tech providers. The purchase price was not disclosed. This acquisition supports Stagwell's supply-side buildout and 'Future of News' initiative, though industry observers raise transparency concerns.