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OOH Revenue Record Q3 2025: 2026 Media Planning Playbook

U.S. OOH hit a record Q3—here’s what changed, what grew fastest, and how planners can build a 2026 mix that proves outcomes.

January 2, 2026 6 min read Atlas OOH Editorial
OOH Revenue Record Q3 2025: 2026 Media Planning Playbook

The signal in the noise: OOH is not “back”—it’s evolving.

The Out of Home Advertising Association of America (OAAA) reported Q3 2025 revenue of $2.13B (+4.5% YoY), marking the highest Q3 on record and extending the industry’s 18 consecutive quarters of growth. Year-to-date revenue reached $6.98B (+3.2%).

For planners, the headline isn’t just growth—it’s what kind of growth: budgets are following channels that can prove reach, deliver flexibility, and connect to outcomes.

Planner takeaway: If budgets tighten later, the dollars that remain typically go to channels that can show measurable impact. 2026 OOH planning should be built with mix strategy + measurement design from day one.

What grew fastest (and why it matters)

eMarketer’s breakdown highlights shifts planners should care about:

  • DOOH grew 11.6% YoY and represented 35% of overall OOH revenues YTD.
  • Transit was the fastest-growing format (+11.4% YoY), with place-based and street furniture also up.

Planning implication: build context stacks

Your OOH mix shouldn’t be “billboard vs. digital.” It should be a stack of contexts aligned to the job you need OOH to do:

  • High-reach corridors (large format) for scale
  • High-frequency micro-moments (street furniture / place-based) for reinforcement
  • High-intent movement nodes (transit) for action windows

The 2026 playbook: plan OOH like a modern channel

1) Build OOH around “moments,” not just markets

Move from “We need Chicago” to:

  • When (commute vs. weekend vs. event surges)
  • Where (routes, nodes, neighborhoods)
  • Why (awareness, consideration, store lift, app installs)

2) Use DOOH for speed, but keep static for certainty

DOOH gives optimization and rapid creative swaps; static gives long dwell and premium “ownership.” The strongest plans combine both—especially if your brand needs consistency and agility at the same time.

3) Treat measurement as a requirement, not a bonus

OOH’s growth is occurring while the broader ad world is forecasting continued expansion into 2026. If budgets get scrutinized, measurement readiness becomes a competitive advantage.

Define upfront:

  • Primary KPI: reach, store visits, site lift, search lift
  • Secondary KPI: frequency, attention proxies, share of voice
  • Learning agenda: A/B markets, creative tests, daypart tests

What to do next (practical checklist)

  • Lock a core OOH backbone (coverage + reach)
  • Layer DOOH test cells (dayparts, triggers, neighborhoods)
  • Connect to digital with:
    • dedicated landing pages / QR variants
    • paid search protection during flights
    • measurement design (geo tests where possible)

Sources

FAQs

It signals sustained demand and format-level shifts (especially digital and transit). For 2026, the opportunity is to build context-based mixes and make measurement a requirement so budgets are defended if pressure increases.
Build “context stacks”: high-reach corridors (large format) for scale, high-frequency micro-moments (street furniture/place-based) for reinforcement, and high-intent movement nodes (transit) for action windows—then layer DOOH where speed and testing matter.
Use DOOH for agility—dayparts, triggers, rapid creative swaps—and static for certainty—premium ownership and long dwell. The strongest plans combine both to balance consistency and optimization.
Define primary KPI (reach, store visits, site lift, search lift), secondary KPI (frequency, attention proxies, share of voice), and a learning agenda (A/B markets, creative tests, daypart tests) using control markets or hold-out audiences where possible.
Lock a core OOH backbone for coverage, then add DOOH test cells (dayparts/triggers/neighborhoods) and connect to digital via dedicated landing pages/QR variants, paid search protection, and a geo-test measurement design.

Comments

Share your perspective—what does this Q3 record change (or confirm) about how you’ll plan OOH in 2026?

2 comments
Valentina
January 2, 2026 · 6:39 PM
Nice article, very interesting insights on OOH revenue and media planning for 2026.
Adrian
January 2, 2026 · 6:37 PM
very interesting blog

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