Havas Media stays France's No.1 media agency as Zenith overtakes Starcom
- 5 days ago
- 3 min read
Updated: 5 days ago
RECMA's 'Overall Activity Volume France 2025' ranking keeps Havas Media the top media agency in France with a 14.5% share, while Publicis's Zenith moved ahead of sister agency Starcom and Dentsu's iProspect broke into the top five.
What the ranking shows
RECMA's latest France ranking, based on billed media-buying and planning volumes, keeps Havas Media at No.1 with a 14.5% market share — down slightly from 14.8% in 2024. Zenith sits second at 13.3%, now ahead of fellow Publicis agency Starcom, and Dentsu's iProspect newly entered the top five.
The underlying RECMA report was published on 10 July 2026, and it confirms the French media-agency pecking order heading into 2027.
Why the podium reshuffle matters
The headline is stability at the top, but the movement underneath is the real story. Zenith overtaking Starcom is Publicis reordering its own brands, while iProspect's rise signals Dentsu's performance-led offer gaining ground in the French market.
For advertisers, agency rankings are a useful proxy for clout: the agencies handling the most volume have the strongest buying leverage with media owners, which can translate into better rates and access.
Havas defends a narrowing lead
Havas holding No.1 while its share dips slightly reflects a competitive market where scale advantages are real but not unassailable. Leadership in media buying is defended contract by contract, and a 0.3-point slip is a reminder that no position is permanent.
It also shows the value of a strong home market. Havas's French roots give it an incumbency advantage domestically that its global holding-company rivals have to work harder to overcome.
Our read for marketers
The practical use of a ranking like this is as one input, not a verdict. Buying scale matters, but so do the specific team, the tech stack and the cultural fit — pick an agency on the total package, not just its league position.
That said, don't ignore leverage. If two agencies are otherwise close, the one with more billed volume in your market may genuinely secure you better media terms — a tangible edge worth weighing.
Quick FAQ
Who is France's top media agency in 2025?
RECMA's ranking keeps Havas Media No.1 with a 14.5% share (down from 14.8% in 2024). Zenith is second at 13.3%, ahead of Starcom, and iProspect entered the top five.
What is the RECMA ranking based on?
Billed media-buying and media-planning volumes handled for clients, making it a proxy for each agency's buying clout with media owners.
Why do agency rankings matter to advertisers?
Agencies handling more volume have stronger buying leverage, which can mean better rates and access — a useful input when choosing a media partner, though not the only one.
— Oliver Nikolla-Casado, International Markets Reporter at Marketing Minute
Media-agency scale is a real advantage in buying leverage, but choose a partner on the total package — team, tech and fit — not the league table alone.
When you pick a media agency, are you weighing buying clout and team quality — or just the name at the top of the ranking?
If you would like to know more about this topic, please contact us on danieln@merxmarketing.co.uk
Sources: mind Media, The Media Leader France, Strategies.
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Written by Oliver Nikolla-Casado, International Markets Reporter at Marketing Minute
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