Credit: Jake Weirick via Unsplash
France-based Havas and Horizon Media, an independent in the US, are pooling their media operations.
The deal via a joint venture will sit on an estimated $20 billion in billings, putting the operation among the world’s top media buyers.
The new venture, Horizon Global, headquartered in New York, will focus on US-centric global client opportunities.
Outside of those, Horizon Media and Havas Media Network will continue to operate independently.
“Built exclusively for the needs of the modern global marketer, Horizon Global is rewriting the agency network playbook,” said Bill Koenigsberg, CEO and founder of Horizon Media Holdings.
“With an open ecosystem approach, Horizon Global fosters cooperation, prioritizes transparency and places power back in the client’s hands.
"As the first agency network built in the AI era, we’re leading with future-forward ways of working, collaborating and delivering outcomes for clients – and we’re doing it responsibly at global scale. This is an exciting new chapter for Havas and Horizon.”
Havas CEO Yannick Bolloré said the partnership marks a significant moment.
“I’ve known Bill for years, and I’m incredibly proud Horizon has turned to Havas as its global partner,” he said.
“In a shifting industry, we look forward to a very exciting partnership, combining our complementary strengths.”
`Horizon Global will unite Horizon’s Blu platform and Havas’ Converged.AI platform to form a BluConverged.
Bob Lord is appointed interim CEO of Horizon Global. He will maintain his current role as president, Horizon Media Holdings.
Renata Spackova is appointed global chief operating officer, based in Paris.
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