Glossary/Agency & Industry/Media Agency
Agency & Industry
Media Agency
An agency that plans, negotiates, and buys paid media for advertisers, separate from the agency creating the ads.
By Brandon Mina·CEO, BrandPilot AI·Updated November 2026
Short answer
A media agency is a firm that plans, negotiates and buys paid advertising space and time for advertisers across channels such as TV, digital, social, audio and outdoor. It is typically separate from the creative agency that makes the ads. Its value lies in audience strategy, buying scale, negotiated rates and campaign optimization.