Tube Set For Bids On £1 Billion Ad Contract

London Underground’s (LU) advertising concession is up for tender for the first time in ten years, offering a near £1 billion contract for advertising space on its trains and platforms.

LU is the world’s largest transport advertising contract and has already attracted attention from many large advertising firms, with a report in the Evening Standard claiming interest from JC Decaux, Maiden and Clear Channel.

Commenting on the speculation, Julie France, managing director of Clear Channel-owned Adshel told NewsLine: “We will make a decision as and when the tender comes out, and if we feel it is appropriate for our business then we will go for it, but it’s impossible to say before we know what we’re bidding for.”

The contract is currently held by Viacom Outdoor, which has already stated its intention to re-bid. Underground adverts are seen by approximately 13 million people a day, with carriage advertisements seen for an average of 13 minutes per journey.

The 10 year contract concludes in January 2006 and the successful bidder will have access to London Underground’s 33,000 station and 80,000 on-board train sites. Outdoor advertising has consistently out-performed all other media sectors with a total rise of around 75% in gross national outdoor spend over the decade.

Adi Frost, media manager for LU said: “The bidding won’t conclude until at best Autumn this year. This is a complex project and it will take time to decide how we might best provide for the advertisers.”

Transport for London: 020 7941 4500 www.tfl.gov.uk

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