Executive Summary

US out-of-home (OOH) ad spending was growing steadily prior to the pandemic. Due to mass quarantines, social distancing guidelines, canceled sporting events and reduced foot traffic, marketers are now adjusting their OOH strategies.

How has the pandemic affected OOH ad spending?

Prior to quarantines, in early March, we expected that US total OOH ad spending would increase by 3.3% in 2020. We now forecast that it will decline 4.6% this year, and marketers will spend $8.25 billion on OOH ads.

What tactics are advertisers using to adjust their OOH campaigns?

Advertisers are examining their contract clauses across the board to see whether they can modify deals that were previously agreed on. They’re also working with OOH media companies to pause or delay campaigns. Some are adjusting their messaging to focus more on social issues and health-related causes.

What portion of OOH advertising is digital?

In 2020, digital out-of-home (DOOH) advertising will reach $2.72 billion and account for 33.0% of all US OOH ad spending.

How is programmatic taking hold in OOH advertising?

Programmatic OOH ad spending will double in 2020, but it’s growing from a small base and will account for just 2.2% of total OOH ad spending.

WHAT’S IN THIS REPORT? This report examines trends, data and strategies related to how marketers are approaching US OOH advertising. It includes our latest forecasts for total OOH ad spending and our first-ever breakouts for digital OOH, traditional OOH and programmatic OOH ad spending.

KEY STAT: We revised our 2020 total US OOH ad spending estimate downward from $8.87 billion to $8.25 billion.