Paramount drops WPP, moves media account to Publicis

Paramount has ended its long-standing relationship with WPP’s media agency, transferring its media business to Publicis after more than 20 years. The shift, first reported by Deadline, was not the result of a formal agency review and reportedly took many by surprise.

The decision comes amid Paramount’s pending merger with Skydance Media, a deal first announced in July 2024. Skydance founder David Ellison, son of Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison, is expected to become chairman and CEO of the combined entity.

While the merger has secured approvals from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and the European Commission, it continues to face delays due to pending clearance from the U.S. Federal Communications Commission and an unresolved lawsuit filed by Donald Trump against Paramount’s CBS unit.

As the company prepares for the potential merger, cost considerations may have factored into the agency switch, according to a report by Deadline, citing unnamed company leaders.

Paramount first appointed WPP’s media agency, then known as Mediaedge:cia, in 2004. The agency was rebranded as MEC in 2010 and later merged with Maxus in 2017 to become Wavemaker. In 2021, Wavemaker’s remit expanded further when Paramount’s ViacomCBS named it as its media agency of record.

Most recently, in May 2025, WPP consolidated its media investment operations under the new name WPP Media, retiring the GroupM brand.