Publicis-Omnicom Merger May Raise Antitrust Concerns [Updated]

Regulators could eye control over ad rates, data

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The merger of Publicis and Omnicom to form the world's largest ad conglomerate is bound to raise more than a few eyebrows in Washington where regulators could add conditions to or even block the proposed $35 billion deal.

Though the holding companies' respective CEOs have said they don't expect regulatory hurdles, the numbers suggest otherwise—the combined companies would control 40 percent of U.S. media spending and 20 percent of the global market. "If it creates too much buying power, it can be anti-competitive," said Bert Foer, president of the American Antitrust Institute.

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