Shine Talent Group has announced its acquisition of Spark Talent Group, marking its second strategic purchase in the creator economy sector. 

The deal expands Shine’s portfolio with several beauty and lifestyle creators, including Monica Rubi (101,000 Instagram followers), Caroline Patterson (191,000 TikTok followers), and Bailey Valente (415,000 TikTok followers).

Business Insider confirms that Spark’s founder and CEO, Summer Lee, is stepping down to pursue opportunities outside talent management. Financial terms of the acquisition remain undisclosed.

Market Movement Accelerates

The acquisition follows Shine’s 2020 purchase of Toronto-based Fourth Floor Management and aligns with the firm’s stated priority of U.S. market expansion, Shine co-founder Emily Ward told Business Insider.

Shine’s current roster includes more than 250 influencers, with notable representation of Instagram creators Sarah Nicole Landry (2.5 million followers), Alicia McCarvell (1.3 million followers), and Lydia Okello (61,000 followers).

The deal reflects broader consolidation trends in the creator economy. Recent significant transactions include Wasserman’s acquisition of gaming and sports-focused Long Haul agency and Whalar Group’s purchase of management firm Sixteenth. The sector’s largest recent transaction was Publicis Groupe’s $500 million acquisition of Influential.

M&A in the Creator Economy

The movements mentioned above indicate continued market interest in talent management firms, influencer marketing startups, and podcasting companies as creators maintain significant audience engagement across platforms.

The creator economy saw a total of 65 merger and acquisition (M&A) deals completed in 2024, according to a report by boutique M&A advisory firm Quartermast Advisors.

“We expect to see more M&A activity this year as we enter a lower interest rate environment and get past the chaos and uncertainty of an election year,” Quartermast Advisors founder James Creech has told Net Influencer. “Given the changing political climate and increased access to capital, we expect transaction activity to pick up over the next 12 months.”

North America led the M&A activity in 2024, accounting for 61.5% of the transactions. Europe followed with 23.1%. In terms of acquisitions, software companies (23.1%) were the most targeted, followed by influencer agencies (20%), media properties (16.9%), and talent management firms (13.8%).

“There’s a large number of service businesses in the creator economy, especially agencies and management companies, so the sheer volume naturally lends itself to a meaningful percentage of overall transaction volume,” James explains, adding that capability expansion and economies of scale are also major drivers behind this trend.

James also highlights strong buyer interest since traditional agency groups and talent representation firms are looking to expand their capabilities and capitalize on the growth opportunities in the creator economy.