Publicis Media has surged ahead in the global media landscape, claiming the top spot in both total and net new business rankings in 2025 with $10 billion in fresh client billings, according to the latest Global New Business Barometer from COMvergence.

The figure represents roughly one-third of all media spend that changed hands worldwide last year, underscoring Publicis Media’s dominance in a highly competitive agency market.

The group’s high-profile wins included Coca-Cola in North America and a collection of 15 global and regional accounts, such as Aldi, Barilla, Campari, Dropbox, Essilor, Friesland Campina, Goodyear, Kenvue, LinkedIn, Mars, Paramount, PayPal, Santander, Savencia, and The Magnum Ice Cream Company. These acquisitions propelled the agency to a commanding lead over its rivals.

Following at a distance, Mediabrands ranked second, Dentsu third, Havas Media Network fourth, and Omnicom Media Group fifth, with new business totals ranging between $1.3 billion and $1.8 billion. WPP Media, by contrast, recorded a downturn, losing 27% ($6.9 billion) of the total media spend that shifted in 2025, marking the only negative performance among the Big 6 media groups.

At the network level, Starcom emerged as the global leader with $2.7 billion in total new business, powered by wins including Mars and Aldi, and by retaining Luxottica in the US.

Initiative closely followed at $2.4 billion, buoyed by securing Bayer globally, Paramount Network, and Anthropic in the US. Spark Foundry completed the top three with $2.1 billion in wins, driven by Kenvue and Paramount accounts worldwide.

When examining net new business gains, Starcom again topped the charts, with Spark Foundry and Initiative trailing at $1.7 billion and $1.4 billion, respectively. These results reflect the agencies’ abilities not only to win new clients but also to maintain revenue growth after pitch cycles.

COMvergence’s 2025 analysis covered more than 4,400 media account moves and retentions across 49 countries, totaling $37.4 billion, a slight decline of 4% compared to 2024.

The United States accounted for the largest share at 34%, followed by the UK at 10% and China at 8%. Notably, overall client retention dropped to 21%, the lowest in eight years.

Initiative led the pack among networks in retaining client relationships post-pitch, while Publicis Media maintained the highest retention among the Big 6. WPP Media, however, retained only 16% of its $8.3 billion reviewed billings.

Independent agencies also made significant strides, capturing $5 billion, or 13% of total spend reviewed. Noteworthy wins included Spectrum’s $800 million account with Horizon Media in the US, Peloton’s $225 million account, and StarzPlay’s $200 million acquisition.

Globally, Accenture Song secured its first substantial media account with Optus in Australia ($45 million), while L’Oréal entrusted its digital media responsibilities to Cosmos5 in Canada.

As agencies adapt to an increasingly fluid media market, Publicis Media’s record-breaking performance highlights its ability to combine strategic wins with effective client retention, setting a high bar for competitors in 2026.