Omnicom Media has won the global media account of Adidas, worth around $559 million based on COMvergence’s statistics. Omnicom managed to win over the Adidas business following a successful pitching battle where it beat out WPP Media and Publicis to win the account. Adidas’ global media account will be run by PHD, one of Omnicom’s media agency brands.
It is a big deal for one of the biggest sportswear brands in the world and comes as yet another business win for Omnicom in what has been a good year for the agency network.
How The Pitch Played Out
According to Campaign, three of the biggest global holding companies, Publicis, Omnicom, and WPP, were battling it out for the Adidas account. It is important to note that the incumbent agency for the Adidas account, EssenceMediacom of WPP Media, was trying to retain the account as part of the pitched business. Such pitching battles, where an incumbent agency fights against two or three other global networks, are quite common. Pitches such as these usually go on for months and include detailed proposals about media buying, data analytics, and other aspects.
EssenceMediacom has been running the account for the Adidas brand since 2018, or about eight years. Prior to that, it was being run by Carat, the media agency of Dentsu group that was running the account for almost twenty years. It is rare to see such longevity in the relationship between client and agency in the advertising industry. This suggests that Adidas values continuity when choosing the agency to run its media account.
The regional billings of Adidas to the incumbent agency EssenceMediacom in UK alone have been worth $26 million this year. This shows why a move involving such a large account always attracts attention across the industry.
Neither EssenceMediacom nor Omnicom Media commented on the development. Adidas has also been reached out by Campaign to comment on the matter; however, at the time of writing this report, there was no statement from the brand.
Part Of A Bigger Winning Streak For Omnicom
It has been a very good year for Omnicom when it comes to winning new businesses. Back in April, Omnicom was able to win the global media account of IBM, estimated to be worth $190 million. The IBM account is active across all of the Americas, EMEA and APAC including Japan regions. The IBM account was pitched by Omnicom against Publicis and Dentsu.
A month before in March, Omnicom managed to win the global media account of Dyson, estimated to be worth around $500 million. In this deal, Omnicom was able to defend the business that used to belong to IPG Mediabrands, beating out both WPP Media and Publicis. The Dyson deal came after Omnicom’s acquisition of IPG.
This year has clearly been a successful one for Omnicom in pitched global accounts. Within a couple of months, Omnicom was able to win three global accounts, namely IBM, Dyson and now Adidas. This shows how well Omnicom has performed in pitched deals this year.
What This Means For The Adidas And Nike Rivalry
What makes the development even more interesting is that now Omnicom is running both Adidas and Nike accounts. In a sense, Omnicom has become the winner of one of the biggest rivalries in the sportswear category..
Nike runs its global integrated media business through Initiative, along with PMG, its media agency of record for global digital capabilities in North America. Now both of these historical rivals are under the umbrella of the same holding company. However, it is important to note that holding companies maintain the separation between their clients to avoid conflict of interest. Omnicom will need to manage that balance carefully.
Why Global Media Account Moves Matter
For the layperson, the move of the media account from one agency to another does not seem like a big event. However, it is quite important for marketers and agency professionals, who watch events like this to understand current trends in the industry. Running the media account of this size involves much more than buying advertising space. It includes the strategy development across all channels, data analysis, programmatic buying and many others.
The fact that Adidas decided to change its incumbent agency suggests a shift in strategy, which could be related to the fresh perspective or better technologies. The scale of billings of this media account ($559 million) also gives an idea of how much money flows in the advertising industry annually on such media accounts.
For Omnicom, the deal also has additional implications such as strengthening the position of the network in the sportswear category and adding billings to the portfolio of the network. For its competitors such as WPP and Publicis, losing the deal means looking for new businesses.
What Comes Next
As with all major account transfers, the next few months will likely entail a transition phase where PHD takes over Adidas’ global media planning and buying responsibilities. The exact scope of work, which markets will be included in the transfer, and the timeframe for the handover are all still unknown at this stage.
Neither Adidas nor Omnicom Media have made any official public comments on anything besides the information that has been revealed in reports up to this point.
For now, the win is certainly considered one of the biggest wins in terms of media agency business for 2026, adding to the string of big moves that have happened so far this year. It remains to be seen whether marketers pay attention to this development to see if it signals any trend in media agency business of the global consumer goods brands.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q 1: How much is the Adidas global media account worth?
The account is estimated to be worth $559 million according to COMvergence data.
Q 2: Which agency will handle the Adidas account?
PHD, one of Omnicom Media Group’s media agencies, will handle the Adidas business. The win was achieved after a pitch competition between Omnicom Media Group and other holding companies..
Q 3: Which agencies did Omnicom beat to win the Adidas account?
Omnicom has beaten both WPP Media and Publicis to secure the Adidas account. The incumbent agency, EssenceMediacom from WPP was defending the Adidas account.
Q 4: Who held the Adidas account before Omnicom?
EssenceMediacom, part of WPP, had the Adidas account since 2018. Previously, the agency was handled by Carat, which is part of Dentsu.
Q 5: How much was Adidas worth to EssenceMediacom in the UK?
According to COMvergence data, Adidas accounted for $26 million of billings for EssenceMediacom in the UK in 2026.
Q 6: What other major accounts has Omnicom won in 2026?
Omnicom has won the global media account of IBM worth an estimated $190 million in April and Dyson’s global media account worth $500 million in March. The accounts were won after competing against other holding companies in pitches.
Q 7: How does the Adidas win relate to Nike?
With the acquisition of IPG by Omnicom, the company now handles media planning and buying of both Adidas and Nike, two competing sportswear brands. Nike has been running its media business through Initiative and Publicis Media Group (PMG).
Q 8: Did Adidas or EssenceMediacom comment on the account change?
EssenceMediacom and Omnicom Media declined to comment. Adidas was reached out by Campaign but did not make any official statement.
Q 9: What does a global media account typically include?
Typically, the global media account includes media planning and buying, data, analytics, and programmatic across multiple countries and languages.
Q 10: Why do global brands switch media agencies?
They may do that to look for new strategic thinking, technology, and global coordination of the work. This kind of move following a long-term cooperation usually means a bigger shift in the marketing strategy of the brand.
