Australia’s media market recorded a busy first half of 2026, with WPP Media and its agency brand Wavemaker emerging as the strongest performers in new business activity, according to COMvergence’s New Business Barometer.

The report reviewed 105 media account movements and competitive pitches across Australia during the six months, covering an estimated US$660 million in media expenditure.

Within that figure, locally driven reviews accounted for US$392 million, while regional and global pitches represented another US$268 million. Retained business also formed a significant portion of the activity, with US$231 million, equivalent to 35 percent of the total spend assessed, remaining with incumbent agencies.

The figures place WPP Media at the top of the agency group rankings after it generated US$221 million through net new business and retained accounts.

Several major account wins contributed to the group’s performance. L’Oréal accounted for US$91 million, while Uber contributed US$33 million and JLR added US$16 million.

WPP Media’s performance also coincided with strong individual agency results from Wavemaker, which secured US$100 million in new business to lead the agency rankings.

For WPP Media, the results reflect the importance of maintaining strong client relationships while continuing to pursue new growth opportunities.

“We talk a lot about being limitless, not as a slogan, but as an attitude towards growth. It’s about staying curious, embracing change and helping our clients unlock new opportunities for growth,” said WPP Media’s Aimee Buchanan.

She added that the results reflected the contribution of its people, the work delivered for clients and the confidence established through longstanding partnerships.

Wavemaker also pointed to the combination of existing client relationships and newly won business as a key feature of its performance.Peter Vogel of Wavemaker described the agency’s position in the new business rankings as a significant achievement for the team, particularly because the result reflected confidence from both existing and prospective clients.

He said the agency remained focused on helping brands respond to change and pursue growth by combining strong client relationships with the capabilities required to address increasingly complex business challenges.

Behind WPP Media, Publicis Media posted US$165 million in net new business and retentions, placing it second among agency groups.Its result received major contributions from Samsung, which represented US$48 million, Lactalis at US$28 million and Tourism Australia at US$16 million.

Dentsu occupied third position among agency groups with US$4 million in net new business and retentions. Its US$28.5 million Tabcorp win helped lift the group’s result, although losses elsewhere largely offset that gain.

Independent agencies, collectively, secured US$43 million during the six-month period, demonstrating that Australia’s competitive media market extended beyond the major international agency networks.

At the individual agency level, the rankings were again dominated by global networks.Wavemaker’s US$100 million placed it first, followed by Zenith with US$88 million. Mindshare recorded US$59 million, while Spark Foundry generated US$56 million. EssenceMediacom completed the top five with US$32 million.

The account movements tracked by COMvergence also reveal the scale of competition among agencies for major advertisers and institutions. L’Oréal represented the largest assessed media review at US$91 million, followed by Samsung at US$48 million. The Western Australia Government accounted for US$36 million, Uber represented US$33 million, while Tabcorp stood at US$29 million.

Beyond individual account movements, the report also highlighted the balance between local and international decision-making in Australia’s media market.

Australia closely mirrored the wider global pattern in this regard. Across the global market, 58 percent of the media reviews and account movements assessed were initiated through local pitches.

In Australia, locally driven pitches represented 57 percent of the media spend examined during the first half of the year. The figures therefore point to a market where local decision-making continues to command a substantial share of media investment, even as agencies compete for regional and global assignments.

With more than half a billion dollars in media expenditure represented by the reviews tracked, the first-half figures provide a snapshot of how agencies are competing for business, retaining existing relationships and responding to major shifts in advertiser requirements across Australia.

For WPP Media and Wavemaker, the period ended with leading positions in their respective rankings, supported by a combination of major account wins, retained business and client relationships.