Private equity buyers are circling ad agencies

Hi and welcome to Insider Advertising for February 16. I’m Lucia Moses, deputy editor, filling in for Lauren Johnson. Here’s what’s going on:

• PE eyes agency deals.
• Blue Sky Studios employees mull shutdown.
• TD Bank reviews its agencies.

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Send tips, comments, suggestions to me at Lmoses@insider.com or @lmoses.

Private equity firms are looking to snap up ad agencies as the pandemic grounds traditional buyers

• Patrick Coffee reports that a flood of private equity will reshape ad agency deal-making in 2021.
• PE firms have filled a void left by traditional agencies, which have delayed deals during the pandemic.
• But not all agency founders are positive on PE ownership.

Read the story.

Disney is shutting down the animation studio behind the ‘Ice Age’ movies. Some staffers say they’re shocked at the lack of communication and feel betrayed that its final movie won’t be released.

• Disney is shutting down Blue Sky Studios, the animation studio behind the “Ice Age” movies.
• Some staffers tell Travis Clark they were shocked by the announcement.
• They said they felt betrayed because Disney is not releasing of “Nimona,” a film they were proud of.

Read the story.

TD Bank is reviewing its ad agencies, and it could mean a big loss for companies like Publicis and Havas

• TD Bank is reviewing its agencies for its US and Canada media and advertising business, Lindsay Rittenhouse reports.
• The review could mean a loss for Publicis, Omnicom Group, and Havas.
• Sources believe the bank plans to consolidate its advertising with one or two agencies, as many companies have been doing.

Read the story.

More stories we’re reading:

• Can anyone moderate podcasts? (The Verge)
• LinkedIn is the latest tech giant to launch a creator program (Axios)
• Silicon Valley’s Safe Space (The New York Times)
• The founders of nonprofit newsroom The 19th break down how they survived launching in a pandemic and how they plan to keep readers engaged post-Trump (Business Insider)
• Ad and marketing moves of the week: Here’s a rundown of promotions and hires at companies like Snap, Publicis Groupe, and R/GA (Business Insider)

Thanks for reading and see you on Tuesday! You can reach me in the meantime at Lmoses@insider.com and subscribe to this daily email here.