French financier Vincent Bollore's interests represent 12.7 of the global media services marketplace, according to a projection of 2005 media services billings released Saturday by RECMA, writes MediaPost (via MediaBuyerPlanner). Bollore controls nearly 25 percent of Aegis shares and has taken control of French rival Havas.

That means Bollore's interests constitute the third-largest piece of the media services business, ahead of both Omnicom and Interpublic. WPP ranks No. 1, with a 22.3 percent share of the market, followed by Publicis Group with a 16.0 percent share.

Now, with WPP facing Friday's deadline on making a formal bid to acquire Aegis Group, WPP chairman-CEO Martin Sorrell and his partners at private equity firm Hellman & Friedman have reportedly been in talks with Bollore to make a joint bid for Aegis. Should that happen, it could create a syndicate representing more than a third of all media planning and buying billings in the world.

WPP, H&F, and Bollore have asked Aegis to extend Friday's deadline in anticipation of a joint bid.