Media Management

MediaSense to acquire PwC UK’s Marketing & Media Owner team

Independent global media advisor, MediaSense, has entered into an agreement to acquire PwC UK’s Marketing & Media Owner team, which will be its first major acquisition since Apiary Capital LLP acquired its majority stake in MediaSense.

The acquisition will enhance MediaSense’s scale, capabilities and offering to clients, bringing PwC UK’s world-class client relationships and skilled and experienced team into the business.

In a rapidly evolving, increasingly complex, data-driven industry, reliable and accurate measurement, governance and insight remain some of marketing’s biggest challenges, as borne out by MediaSense’s recent Media 2025 Wave Six report. The report also highlighted the significant organisational change taking place within clients, media owners and agencies and the wider media ecosystem. This deal marks the coming together of two world-class media advisory businesses to address these challenges – it will give clients access to wider capabilities, media expertise, analytics and insight.

The move will see over 50 people from PwC joining MediaSense, including PwC Partner, Sam Tomlinson, who will join the MediaSense management team as Chief Client Officer.

Private equity firm, Apiary Capital LLP, acquired a stake in MediaSense three years ago, specifically to support the independent global media advisor’s ambitious expansion plans, with this deal marking a major milestone on that journey.

Commenting on the acquisition, Graham Brown, CEO MediaSense, says that “This is an exciting development for MediaSense and an important step in our ambitious growth plans. The acquisition brings us a talented team with complementary skills, capabilities and experience, and an impressive portfolio of global clients. Uniting these two leading businesses under the MediaSense brand will further cement our position as the world’s foremost media advisory business.”

MediaSense was founded by Andy Pearch and Graham Brown in April 2009. Its specialist advisory and analytics teams empower the world’s leading brands to engineer greater productivity from their media investments and to design more agile and effective media operating models.

Sam Tomlinson, PwC UK Partner and Media Leader added: “We are very much looking forward to becoming part of MediaSense. Over a relatively short period they have become one of the preeminent and most respected operators in our field; we share the same values and have a common approach built to deliver exceptional service and value to our clients.”