Freestar Joins Stagwell: What the Acquisition Means for Publishers and Advertisers

Why did Freestar join Stagwell?

Freestar joined Stagwell to connect advertisers and publisher supply more directly, providing better outcomes for both sides. Freestar’s code sits directly on publisher pages, which gives buyers cleaner on-page and contextual signals. Stagwell connects that inventory to the advertisers and agencies buying media.

The timing reflects how fast the open web is being refactored. Buyers increasingly reward supply they can understand and trust, and publisher revenue no longer comes from a display auction alone. Publishers now face a choice: treat monetization as a commodity, or work with a trusted, transparent extension of their team.

Freestar started moving beyond monetization with pubOS, its Publisher Operating System. Joining Stagwell speeds up that plan rather than changing it.

“Publishers are essential to a healthy media ecosystem, and we believe their long-term success is critical to the future of our industry. Freestar has built an exceptional global business helping publishers increase revenue and improve operational efficiency in a complex programmatic landscape.”

— Ben Berentson, CEO, Owned Media, Stagwell

What does the acquisition mean for publishers?

For publishers, the acquisition is purely additive: nothing you rely on today goes away, and new capabilities will  arrive over time. Your customer success manager will bring each one to you as it becomes available. Nothing you have today waits on any of it.

Here is what Stagwell adds behind Freestar:

• Demand. Stagwell’s agencies work with some of the world’s most ambitious brands. Its solutions, including the Marketing Cloud, Curate and the Media Machine, will connect your inventory to premium campaigns with better targeting and a more streamlined supply path.
• Data. The Marketing Cloud brings audience data and insights. This helps buyers see what your audience is worth, so you get paid for the quality you deliver.
• Technology. Freestar will keep pushing its technology further, including agentic buying and selling, with the expertise of Stagwell’s teams behind it.
• Investment. More resources go into pubOS, its integrated partner marketplace, and the high-touch service team publishers work with every day.
• Publisher know-how. Stagwell owns and operates its own media properties across digital publishing, CTV and digital out-of-home. It understands the publisher business from the inside.

The acquisition points Freestar toward more publisher services, not fewer. Freestar is still a publisher-first company, now with closer ties to the buy side.

“The best outcomes happen when advertisers know exactly what they’re buying, and publishers are rewarded for the quality they deliver. Stagwell understands that. Joining them lets us offer publishers new capabilities, while staying true to the publisher-first approach that has always been our north star.”

— Kurt Donnell, CEO, Freestar

What does it mean for advertisers and demand partners?

For buyers, it means more (and better understood) premium supply. Freestar manages more premium Jounce Media Bellwether publishers than any other publisher services partner, and Stagwell’s backing lets that roster grow.

• More quality inventory. Freestar works with brands like Boston Globe Media, Fortune Media, Legacy and Enthusiast Gaming. More of that supply will flow through the pipes partners already use.
• Clearer signals. Marketing Cloud data and Freestar’s on-page integrations make inventory better understood, better packaged and more valuable to bid on.
• No disruption. SSP and DSP partners remain core to Freestar’s business. Nothing about the auction, bidder access or path priority changes. Integrations, seats, floors, payment terms and ads.txt lines are unchanged, and no technical migration is planned.
• Same rails. Any curated or packaged deals that come out of the combination will run through existing exchange and deal infrastructure.

A better-funded, more trusted open web benefits everyone in the chain who competes on quality.

What stays the same at Freestar?

How Freestar works with you stays the same, and Freestar’s track record comes with it. Since David Freedman founded the company in 2015, Freestar has driven more than $1 billion in revenue for publishers. It serves more than 1,000 websites with nearly a billion daily ad requests across 50+ demand relationships. It has made the Inc. 5000 list seven years in a row, including the #1 spot in 2019.

What should publishers do now?

The right next step depends on where you sit today:

• If you’re a Freestar publisher, change nothing. Don’t re-sign anything or touch your ads.txt. Your setup keeps running exactly as it does today.
• Ask your customer success manager what fits your business. As Marketing Cloud data and new demand come online, your CSM will tell you which ones apply to your audience and inventory.
• Make your inventory easy for buyers to value. Buyers pay more for supply with clean on-page signals, rich contextual data and a short path to the advertiser. Those are the areas Stagwell’s capabilities strengthen.
• If you’re not with Freestar, benchmark your setup. Look at how directly your inventory reaches buyers, how many steps lay in between, and whether buyers can see what your audience is worth. If the answers aren’t clear, that’s revenue you’re leaving on the table.

What is the press saying about the Stagwell–Freestar deal?

How can publishers learn more?

Want to see what Freestar and Stagwell could do for your inventory? Talk to the Freestar team. We’ll walk through how your current setup is performing and what a shorter path to advertisers could look like for your business.

Already a Freestar publisher? Reach out to your customer success manager with any questions.