OOH advertising revenue in the UK saw a marginal decline of 0.2% year on year in H1 to total £644.9m, according to trade body Outsmart.
Digital OOH revenue rose 0.3% in the period, but classic OOH fell 1.3%.
This is a change in momentum from H1 2024, when ad revenue grew by double digits, rising 17% to £646m — the industry’s strongest H1 thus far.
That said, digital’s share of total revenue remained at 66% — unchanged from H1 2024.
In Q2 alone, ad revenue fell by a slightly larger 1.2% to £350.4m. Again, this contrasts with a much stronger Q2 2024, when ad revenue jumped 17%.
It is also weaker than Q1, which saw a 1% increase.
Both digital and classic OOH saw declines in Q2, at 0.7% and 2.2% respectively.
Justin Cochrane, chair of Outsmart, said: “The figures reflect OOH’s resilience in a period of economic uncertainty.
“Whilst we’ve seen a short-term focus across the media market recently, OOH continues to be uniquely placed to deliver on advertisers’ real-world needs as confidence grows.”
Andy Lobo, director at PwC, which collated the figures, added: “While there have been some broader macroeconomic headwinds for the industry to contend with, UK OOH has continued to be resilient.
“Investment in OOH infrastructure, particularly in digital and programmatic, will help to drive growth moving forward.”
In March, Outsmart called on the government to support growth in the sector by removing business rates on social infrastructure and extending express planning consents.
OOH ad revenue hit a record high in 2024 to reach £1.4bn — growth of 7.7% year on year.
The latest Advertising Association/Warc Expenditure Report upwardly revised its forecast for OOH adspend for 2025 to 3.1%, led by growth of 3.7% for digital OOH.
Outsmart calls for government reforms to boost OOH sector
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