Canadian OoH Ad Revenues Grow 5.8% As Mobility And Experiences Drive Media Exposure

March 18, 2026 by guest author, John Berkovich

Canada’s out-of-home advertising sector continued its recovery and expansion in 2025, with industry revenues rising 5.8% year-over-year, according to the latest annual report from the Canadian Out-of-Home Marketing and Measurement Bureau (COMMB).

The report points to increased consumer mobility, rising attendance at live events and stronger demand for real-world experiences as key factors boosting audience exposure to OoH media across the country.

As Canadians spend more time outside their homes commuting, shopping and attending entertainment events, the environments where OoH media is typically deployed — including roadsides, transit networks, and urban centers — are seeing higher traffic levels.

Commuting patterns are rebounding across many Canadian cities, with transit ridership and vehicle travel continuing to climb. Longer travel times in major urban areas are also contributing to more opportunities for ad exposure. Cities such as Toronto and Vancouver now rank among the most congested in North America, increasing the amount of time drivers and passengers spend in front of roadside media.

Consumer spending trends are reinforcing those patterns. According to the report, spending on entertainment, restaurants, concerts, and sporting events increased more than 10% in 2025 and now accounts for roughly 17% of total consumer expenditures in Canada.

Those activities drive foot traffic through entertainment districts, shopping areas, and transportation hubs — environments that are increasingly dominated by digital out-of-home screens.

Younger audiences are also showing strong engagement with physical entertainment venues. The report notes that more than half of Gen Z consumers visited a movie theater in the previous three months, with many arriving early to watch advertisements and trailers before the film begins.

The Canadian OoH sector is also evolving technologically, with measurement tools and digital inventory becoming increasingly important to advertisers and media planners.

Commb recently introduced Roadmap, a new audience measurement and planning platform designed to streamline how agencies and brands plan and buy out-of-home campaigns. The platform aims to improve transparency and simplify campaign execution as advertisers increasingly integrate OoH into broader omnichannel strategies.

Industry consolidation is also reshaping the Canadian market, with acquisitions and partnerships among media operators aimed at increasing scale and making campaign buying easier for national advertisers.

At the same time, the report suggests OoH is increasingly being positioned as a complementary channel within multi-platform media strategies rather than a standalone advertising medium.

Research cited in the report indicates that adding OoH to broader marketing campaigns can increase overall reach by about 23%, helping amplify digital and social messaging by delivering high-visibility impressions in the physical world.

Looking ahead, Commb says the next phase of growth for the sector will be driven by the continued expansion of digital out-of-home networks, improvements in audience measurement and closer integration with other digital advertising channels such as connected TV, retail media and programmatic buying.

(Image: Bell Media)