Canadian out-of-home advertising begins 2026 with growth as digital surpasses 60% of industry revenue
Thursday, July 2, 2026
Toronto, ON — COMMB (Canadian Out-of-Home Marketing and Measurement Bureau) released its Q1 2026 Canadian Out-of-Home (OOH) Advertising Revenue Report.
The quarterly report benchmarks performance with aggregated revenue from Media Owners, across Canada’s Roadside, Transportation and Place-Based sectors. Revenue further reported for Classic and Digital formats, providing an ongoing view of the industry’s growth and evolution.
Canada’s Out-of-Home industry entered 2026 on solid ground, with Q1 revenue climbing to $180.9 million, up 1.1% year over year, and a favourable tilt toward its fastest growing formats. Digital led the charge, rising 6% to account for more than 60% of total revenue, while Transportation and Place-Based each posted double-digit gains of roughly 13%, powered by a standout 24% surge in digital transportation.
As advertisers increasingly treat Out-of-Home as a data driven, measurable, performance driven channel within the broader media mix, Digital Out-of-Home screens are holding strong while creating fresh opportunity, positioning the industry for continued, sustained growth.
Revenue Numbers by Environment:
- Roadside / Outdoor, the largest segment, declined 5.9% to $105.9M. The reduction was concentrated in classic roadside (down 13.0%), while digital roadside held roughly flat.
- Transportation was the strongest performer, up 13% to $44.3M, led by a 24.3% surge in digital transport and supported by 7.5% growth in classic transport, the only format where Classic also grew.
- Place-Based rose 12.9% to $30.7M, driven almost entirely by digital (up 14.6%)
- Programmatic fell 17.3% to $14.7M, which, is at a glance appears to be a steep decline, however the overall growth of digital suggests that the industry is shifting toward programmatic guaranteed deals and dynamic creative activations vs open exchange which could explain the decline in reporting.
“The industry’s continued growth reflects the increasing confidence advertisers have in OOH as a measurable, flexible and high-performing channel,” said Lindsey Talbot, President, COMMB. “The results reflect a healthy and evolving marketplace, positioning Canadian OOH for continued growth throughout 2026.”
About COMMB:
COMMB is the national organization for the Canadian OOH industry comprised of advertisers, advertising agencies and OOH companies. COMMB is responsible for developing and verifying audience measurement methodologies, providing audience data and planning resources, marketing and communications, government relations and member services. www.commb.ca
For more information, please contact:
Lara Menzies
Director, Marketing & Partnerships
