At $235 billion and growing at 22.5% CAGR, the creator economy has long since graduated from its “side hustle” roots. In 2025, it entered a new phase: one defined not just by explosive growth, but by investor conviction.

According to the 2026 Creator Economy M&A Report by Quartermast Advisors, a record 81 M&A deals were completed in the space last year, marking a 17.4% year-over-year increase in transaction volume. The result is a new narrative unfolding in real time: the creator economy as an emerging asset class.

Let’s start with deal size.

In 2025, we saw a clear shift in the average transaction size, with landmark acquisitions like:

These are serious strategic bets; major corporations acquiring creator-economy platforms to either expand their core business or future-proof their reach with younger, digitally native audiences.

Notably, North America dominated the landscape, accounting for over 70% of all deals. Europe trailed at a distant second, while cross-border transactions declined overall, from........

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