Accenture-Whalar, Times Internet-Instant Bollywood deals signal new creator economy high

The creator economy is entering a new phase of consolidation, with global consulting firms and traditional media companies increasingly acquiring creator-focused businesses in a bid to secure relevance in a social-first internet.

In two developments that unfolded this week, Accenture agreed to acquire creator and social agency Whalar, while Times Internet acquired entertainment-focused social publisher Instant Bollywood, according to sources familiar with the matter.

Although the two deals come from different corners of the media ecosystem, they point to the same conclusion: creators, communities and social distribution are no longer peripheral marketing channels. They are becoming core business assets.

For years, brands treated creator marketing as an add-on to traditional advertising. 

Accenture's acquisition of Whalar reflects how seriously global marketing services firms are taking the shift.

Whalar has become one of the world's most influential creator agencies, executing more than $600 million worth of creator campaigns across over 40 countries and 15 languages. The agency delivers thousands of creator activations annually and generates billions of engagements for brands through influencer-led programs.

The acquisition will see Whalar become part of Accenture Song, the company's marketing, creative and customer experience division.

"Accenture Song exists to help the world's most ambitious companies grow and today, growth is inseparable from relevance," said Ndidi Oteh, CEO of Accenture Song.

"Social is where brands are discovered, where modern commerce is happening and where consumer habits tell us what products and services are going to win next. Whalar brings a creator capability that strengthens how we drive meaningful impact and growth for clients."

The rationale behind the deal highlights how creator marketing is evolving from campaign execution to a core component of customer acquisition, commerce and brand building.

According to the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB), advertising spend in the US creator economy is expected to reach $43.9 billion in 2026, making it one of the fastest-growing segments of the media industry.

Dimitri Maex, Global Marketing Practice Lead at Accenture Song, argued that brands now require a combination of creator relationships, platform expertise and technology infrastructure to compete effectively.

"The creator economy demands a new kind of expertise, one that blends authentic creator relationships, deep platform knowledge, and the technology to activate both at enterprise scale," he said.

"Bringing Whalar into Accenture Song lets us pair creator authenticity with the intelligence and scale to deliver work that's not just produced but felt. Because as the agentic economy grows, what wins won't be the most content, it will be what is most original and the most human."

While Accenture is acquiring creator expertise to strengthen brand and commerce capabilities, Times Internet's acquisition of Instant Bollywood highlights another trend: traditional publishers are increasingly buying social-first media brands that have already built massive audiences on platforms such as Instagram.

Founded by Mandeep Singh more than 14 years ago, Instant Bollywood has grown into one of India's largest entertainment-focused social publishers by distributing celebrity news, entertainment updates, viral content and lifestyle stories primarily through social media.

According to company figures, the platform generated 11.5 billion monthly Instagram views in April, attracted more than 355 million user interactions and added nearly 1.2 million followers during the month. It claims a global reach of more than 75 million users across social platforms, including 37.3 million Instagram followers.

The acquisition significantly strengthens Times Internet's position in the creator-led entertainment ecosystem at a time when audience attention is increasingly moving away from traditional publisher websites toward social feeds, creator content and short-form video platforms.

Perhaps most notably, Instant Bollywood increasingly resembles a digital media company rather than a conventional social media page.

Based on Comscore data, the platform accounted for 57% of social engagement actions across leading Bollywood-focused brands on Facebook, Instagram and X during the last three months. It has also ranked alongside major sports properties including the IPL, Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Chennai Super Kings and Star Sports among India's most engaged social media brands.

The deal reflects a growing recognition that some of the most influential media brands today were built natively on social platforms rather than websites, television channels or print publications.

Taken together, the Accenture-Whalar and Times Internet-Instant Bollywood deals signal that the lines separating agencies, media companies, creators and technology platforms are rapidly disappearing.

Consultancies want creator networks because creators increasingly influence commerce.

Publishers want creator-led brands because audiences increasingly consume content through social feeds rather than destination websites.

And brands want both because consumers increasingly trust creators and communities more than traditional advertising.

The latest acquisitions suggest that the next battle for growth will not be fought over media inventory alone. It will be fought over who owns the creators, communities and cultural influence that increasingly drive consumer attention.