Stagwell (NASDAQ:STGW) has announced the acquisition of Freestar, a publisher services and monetization company that works with digital media brands. Stagwell said the transaction will add Freestar’s programmatic advertising expertise to its media operations and expand its Owned Media offering.
Founded in 2015 by David Freedman, Freestar supports digital brands across news, gaming and utilities. Its customers include Boston Globe Media, Fortune Media, Legacy and Enthusiast Gaming.
The company operates through pubOS, its proprietary Publisher Operating System. Freestar describes the platform as combining enterprise-grade technology, a marketplace of partner services and customer support to help publishers pursue additional revenue opportunities, improve performance through tailored monetization strategies and respond to changes in digital media and AI.
Stagwell said Freestar will be integrated into its Media and Commerce ecosystem. According to the company, the integration will expand its Owned Media portfolio, develop a more streamlined supply path and enhance audience intelligence.
Stagwell also said Freestar customers will receive more direct access to advertisers and tools. The company said the arrangement is intended to support both advertisers and publishers.
Stagwell said agentic decisioning powered by the Stagwell AI Media Machine will be used to help match inventory with audiences and support the path to activation. This capability was described as part of the planned integration.
#Management comments and Future of News initiative
Ben Berentson, CEO of Owned Media at Stagwell, said publishers play an important role in the media ecosystem. He described Freestar as a global business that helps publishers increase revenue and improve operational efficiency in the programmatic advertising environment.
Kurt Donnell, CEO of Freestar, said the company’s focus would remain on helping publishers obtain more value from their businesses. He added that joining Stagwell would provide publishers with additional capabilities while maintaining Freestar’s publisher-first approach.
Stagwell said the transaction also supports its Future of News initiative, which brings together publishers, marketers, journalists and brand leaders in support of the news industry.
Freestar said it has driven over $1 billion in revenue for publishers over the past decade. The company also said it manages more premium Jounce Media Bellwether publishers than any other publisher services partner.
Freestar is headquartered in Scottsdale, AZ. It said it appeared on the annual Inc. 5000 list of the fastest-growing private companies in the United States for seven consecutive years, including the number one spot in 2019. It also cited recognition from AdWeek and the Titan Business Awards.
Needham & Company served as Freestar’s exclusive financial adviser in connection with the transaction.
Stagwell announced the acquisition of Freestar, a services and monetisation partner to digital media brands. The announcement says the acquisition will expand Stagwell’s media capabilities through Freestar’s programmatic advertising expertise.
Stagwell announced the acquisition on October 26, 2026. The announcement covers Freestar joining Stagwell’s Media and Commerce ecosystem.
Freestar provides publisher services and monetisation support to digital media brands, including companies in news, gaming and utilities. It helps publishers pursue new revenue opportunities, improve performance through tailored monetisation strategies and navigate changes in digital media and AI.
Freestar uses pubOS, its proprietary Publisher Operating System. The platform combines enterprise-grade technology, an integrated marketplace of partner offerings and customer service to support publishers’ monetisation activities.
Stagwell said Freestar will strengthen its Owned Media offering as its Media and Commerce segment expands its media capabilities and offerings for clients. Stagwell also said the integration will expand its high-value Owned Media portfolio, enhance audience intelligence and develop a more streamlined supply path.
Stagwell said Freestar customers will have more direct access to advertisers and tools, which it said will provide better outcomes for both the buy and sell side of the market. Kurt Donnell, CEO of Freestar, said the arrangement would offer publishers new capabilities while retaining Freestar’s publisher-first approach.
Stagwell said it will use agentic decisioning powered by the Stagwell AI Media Machine to deliver quality inventory to the right audiences and support an efficient path to activation. The statement presents this as part of Freestar’s integration with the Stagwell Media and Commerce ecosystem.
Ben Berentson, CEO of Owned Media at Stagwell, said publishers are essential to a healthy media ecosystem and that Freestar had built a global business helping publishers increase revenue and improve operational efficiency in a complex programmatic landscape. He said Stagwell would continue investing in that mission and bring new capabilities to support publishers’ growth and their clients’ success.
Stagwell said the partnership bolsters its Future of News initiative. The initiative brings together publishers, marketers, journalists and brand leaders to support a thriving news industry and drive impactful change.
Freestar said it has driven over $1 billion in revenue for publishers over the past decade. The company also said it manages more premium Jounce Media Bellwether publishers than any other publisher services partner.
Stagwell’s shares trade on NASDAQ under the ticker symbol STGW, written in the source as NASDAQ:STGW.
Needham & Company served as Freestar’s exclusive financial adviser in connection with the transaction.