Brands are increasing their OOH investment driving ad spend up 10.7% in the second quarter of 2026 to $3.16 billion, and the strong quarter pushed year-to-date OOH revenue growth to 9.2%.
The growth was broad-based, with digital OOH, technology and AI advertisers, financial services and major live events all contributing to the quarter’s momentum. Nearly three-quarters (73%) of the top 100 OOH advertisers increased their spending compared to Q2 2025, while technology and direct-to-consumer brands accounted for 30% of the top 100 spenders.
Digital out of home (DOOH) remained a major engine of growth, increasing 18.5% year over year and accounting for 38.4% of total quarterly OOH revenue.
Technology and AI Brands Accelerate Investment
Technology was one of the quarter’s standout growth stories. Spending in the Computers, Software & Internet industry surged 149.8% year over year.
Technology and direct-to-consumer companies represented 30% of the top 100 OOH advertisers. Leading advertisers among the top 25 included Apple, T-Mobile, Verizon, Progressive, Genspark, Uber, OpenAI, Geico, Amazon, DoorDash and HBO.
The growth reflects continued investment from consumer technology and streaming platforms, alongside the expanding presence of AI-driven software and services in OOH.
Digital OOH and Urban Formats Drive Growth
DOOH accounted for 38.4% of quarterly OOH sales and increased 18.5% compared to Q2 2025.
Among major OOH formats, Transit generated the strongest growth, increasing 23.9% year over year, followed by Place-Based at 19.3%, as theaters pace toward their strongest year since 2019.
Several major advertiser industries also delivered double-digit growth, including:
- Computers, Software & Internet: +149.8%
- Financial: +22.7%
- Media & Advertising: +12.6%
- Local Services & Amusements: +10.5%
Major Brands Increase OOH Investment
Ranked by total OOH spending, the top 10 advertisers in Q2 2026 were:
- Morgan & Morgan
- Coca-Cola
- Apple
- T-Mobile
- McDonald’s
- Verizon
- Johnson & Johnson
- Progressive
- Universal Pictures
- Dunkin’
Pharma also showed a strong presence in the quarter, with Johnson & Johnson ranking as the seventh-largest OOH advertiser and more than doubling its investment year over year. Hospitals, Clinics & Medical Centers also ranked as the second-largest OOH product category by spend.
Nearly three-quarters (73%) of the top 100 OOH advertisers increased their spending compared with Q2 2025.
Brands more than doubling their OOH investment included Genspark, NordVPN, Citi, New Mexico Tourism, Johnson & Johnson, Visa, Bank of America, OpenAI, Brex, DraftKings, Odoo, Canva, Nestlé, Meta, Coach, Pepsi, Boston Beer, Uber, BetMGM and Home Depot.
Live Events Amplify OOH Demand
Major live events continued to drive OOH spending momentum during the quarter. FIFA invested more than $3 million in OOH to promote the World Cup, while Live Nation increased its OOH investment 10% year over year to more than $2.3 million.
Broad-Based Category Growth
Examining a tier below industries, the top 10 OOH product categories by spending in Q2 were:
- Legal Services
- Hospitals, Clinics & Medical Centers
- Computer Software, excluding games and education
- Consumer Banking
- Domestic Hotels & Resorts
- Colleges & Universities
- Quick Serve Restaurants
- Local Government
- Architects, Contractors & Engineers
- Chain Food Stores & Supermarkets
Six of the ten categories increased spending year over year, led by Computer Software, followed by Legal Services; Architects, Contractors & Engineers; Colleges & Universities; Chain Food Stores & Supermarkets; and Quick Serve Restaurants.
OAAA members can access OOH category and advertiser industry charts here.
Source: MediaRadar, Miller Kaplan, OAAA
NOTE: The Q2 report does not incorporate product category or brand Cinema data due to lack of availability from MediaRadar.
Published: August 18, 2026