• by Steve McClellan  @mp_mcclellan, May 16, 2017

Gaming giant Activision Blizzard has completed a global media review that began early this year and has opted to retain Omnicom’s OMD and WPP’s MEC as its agencies, per sources.

The company, known for best-selling titles such as the Call of Duty and World of Warcraft series, spends an estimated $300 million on ads worldwide.

OMD will continue to handle the North American portion of the assignment and MEC retains the business outside of North America.

The firm spent around $102 million on measured media in the U.S. last year according to the Kantar Media. That was down about 35% from the $156 million it spent in 2015. Sources noted that the firm’s spending can vary sharply from year to year depending on the launch cycle of new games.

Going into the review, sources said the firm indicated it would be spending in the neighborhood of $150 million in measured media annually in the U.S. going forward.

The client has relied on the two agencies for media services through several review cycles. In 2011, the gaming company shifted its North American Assignment from MEC to OMD without a formal review.

In 2012, less than a year after making the shift in North America, the firm conducted a global review and opted to retain OMD for North America media services while retaining MEC for services outside of that region.

Word of the review results comes on the day that Activision Blizzard scheduled for release a remastered Call of Duty package called Call of Duty: Black Ops III Zombies Chronicles.

Last month the firm issued what it termed “better than expected” first quarter financial results, reporting net revenues of over $1.7 billion, beating its previous guidance by almost $200 million. 

A rep for the company could not be immediately reached for comment on the review.