Nearly half of WPP's revenue now comes from its media division. The company disclosed new figures in its latest earnings report. Creative and production units made up the rest.
WPP has disclosed that its media operations generated 46% of the company's total revenue in the second quarter of 2026, marking the first time the agency group has broken out this figure in its earnings report. This new level of transparency offers media and publishing professionals a clearer view of how media services are shaping the financial structure of one of the world's largest agency holding companies.
According to WPP's first half 2026 financial release, the media segment's share of revenue was calculated excluding pass-through costs. The creative division, which now includes the "Enterprise Solutions" practice accounting for 13% of that segment, contributed 49% of total revenue. Production activities made up the remaining 5%. The company did not provide comparable figures for previous years, making it difficult to assess year-over-year shifts in the media share.
While WPP Media's net sales declined 2.8% year-over-year in the second quarter, this represented an improvement from the first quarter, which saw an 8.3% year-over-year drop. The company did not specify the drivers behind these changes, but the data signals a stabilization in media revenue performance compared to earlier in the year.
Industry analysts note that agency holding companies often report media revenue differently, complicating direct comparisons. However, an analysis of public data by ChatGPT suggests WPP would rank fourth among major holding companies for the proportion of revenue from media, trailing Publicis, Dentsu, and Omnicom, but ahead of Havas and Stagwell. These estimates have not been independently verified by MediaPost.
As media revenue becomes a larger share of agency group earnings, the competitive landscape continues to evolve. Related shifts in advertising spend, such as the projected double-digit growth in digital out-of-home ad investment, are also influencing agency strategies. For more on how brands are increasing their investment in digital out-of-home networks, see this report on cinema attendance and major event-driven ad growth.
WPP, headquartered in London, is one of the world's largest advertising and communications groups. As of 2025, the company reported annual revenues exceeding $17 billion and employed over 100,000 people across more than 100 countries. WPP's portfolio includes leading agencies in media, creative, and production, serving global brands and advertisers.
