Publicis Media led the global advertising agency rankings in the first half of 2026, recording $3.24 billion in net new business billings worldwide, according to agency research firm COMvergence.
The figure takes into account wins, losses and client retentions on a net basis. Publicis Media’s performance placed it ahead of Omnicom Media, which recorded $3.15 billion, while WPP ranked third with $2.98 billion.
The results offer a snapshot of where some of the world's biggest media groups are gaining and losing business as advertisers review their agency relationships and rethink how their media spending is managed.
Publicis Leads As Holding Groups Consolidate Media
Publicis Media’s first-half performance was supported by several major account wins, including Adidas in China, HP, Microsoft and Prada.
Omnicom Media followed closely behind, with new business from clients including Delta, IBM and Subway contributing to its $3.15 billion total. WPP completed the top three with $2.98 billion in billings. Its performance was also supported by a high volume of client retention, with accounts including Estée Lauder, Jaguar Land Rover and Wendy’s remaining within the group.
The relatively close figures between the three largest groups point to the scale of competition in global media. Winning a major account can shift an agency group’s position quickly, but retaining existing clients is equally important. Advertisers are increasingly reviewing whether their agencies can provide the technology, data, measurement and market expertise needed to manage increasingly complex media environments.
The rankings also show that the pressure is not evenly distributed across the industry. Dentsu recorded a net loss of $181 million during the period, while Havas Media Network recorded a larger net loss of $343 million. Both groups lost more business than they won during the first half of the year.
According to Olivier Gauthier, founder and chief executive of COMvergence, the results point to a broader change in the way companies are organising their media investments.
He said companies are increasingly consolidating their media spending into dedicated, centralised units run directly by holding groups rather than relying on their traditional agency brands. That shift has implications for how agencies compete for global accounts.
The Agency Model Is Changing
For years, large advertisers often worked with separate agencies for different markets, channels and specialist functions. The growing demand for integrated data, technology and measurement is changing that model.
A centralised media operation can give multinational advertisers a single structure for managing spending across markets while still allowing individual markets to adapt campaigns to local audiences. That makes scale increasingly valuable.
The agencies competing for large global accounts are no longer selling media buying alone. They are also competing on technology, data, measurement, audience intelligence and their ability to connect activity across multiple markets. Publicis Media's performance in the first half of the year reflects that changing competitive environment.
The group did not lead the rankings simply because of one account. Its total came from a combination of business wins, losses and client retention across markets.For advertisers, these rankings also provide a view into where agency relationships are moving.
A large account win can indicate that a holding group has convinced a client that its capabilities match the advertiser's current needs. A major loss, meanwhile, can signal that another agency has presented a more suitable approach to the client's changing requirements. This makes agency reviews increasingly important strategic moments for both brands and holding companies.
The bigger story is therefore not simply that Publicis Media ranked first in the first half of 2026.The results show an advertising industry where media relationships are becoming more centralised, more technology-driven and more closely connected to business performance.
For agencies, that means traditional credentials may no longer be enough to win large global accounts. They need to demonstrate how their people, platforms, data and measurement capabilities can work together across markets.For brands, it means choosing an agency partner is increasingly about how effectively that partner can connect global scale with local execution.
The first-half rankings offer a snapshot of that transition. Publicis Media currently sits at the top of the table, but the larger story is how the rules of competition are changing across the global advertising industry.\\
