Digital budgets shift toward pDOOH campaigns

VIOOH reports that programmatic digital out of home (pDOOH) is becoming a standard component of media planning, with adoption and investment expected to increase across global markets.

The company’s annual study shows pDOOH featured in an average of 34 percent of campaigns over the past 18 months, with this projected to rise to 48 percent in the next 18 months. Advertisers and agencies also expect spend in the channel to increase by an average of 44 percent.

Budgets shift from digital channels

The study, based on responses from 1,050 advertisers and agencies across markets including the US, UK, France and the Middle East, indicates that 99 percent of recent pDOOH buyers plan to maintain or increase their investment.

Globally, 95 percent of those increasing spend expect to reallocate budgets from other digital channels, reinforcing pDOOH’s position within the wider programmatic ecosystem.

Integration into programmatic workflows

pDOOH has become more closely integrated into broader digital strategies. In the past 12 months, 89 percent of respondents planned pDOOH as part of wider programmatic activity, compared to 37 percent in 2023.

Digital and programmatic teams are now the main route to market, cited by 88 percent of respondents. The use of dedicated pDOOH teams has also increased, reflecting growing specialisation within the channel.

Curated marketplaces are also gaining traction, with 58 percent of marketers considering them as a way to manage fragmentation and achieve broader reach while maintaining targeting and brand safety.

ROI and innovation drive adoption

Confidence in pDOOH’s performance continues to grow. In 2026, 60 percent of respondents say the channel is likely to deliver return on investment, ahead of both digital out of home and traditional out of home formats.

The channel is also associated with innovation, with 84 percent of respondents linking it to advanced opportunities such as dynamic creative optimisation. Contextual relevance and flexibility remain key advantages cited by marketers.

Sustainability perceptions evolve

While 62 percent of respondents associate pDOOH with sustainable or eco-efficient reach, sustainability is becoming a less prominent factor in decision-making compared to previous years.

In core markets such as the US, UK and France, the proportion of marketers ranking sustainability among their top considerations has declined since 2024.

AI and data shape future growth

Artificial intelligence is playing an increasing role in campaign execution, with 90 percent of respondents using it in at least one stage of the process, including creative development, forecasting and inventory selection.

First-party data integration is also expected to drive further investment, particularly among larger advertisers. At the same time, adoption of dynamic creative optimisation remains gradual due to challenges such as training, budget and creative resources.

Jean-Christophe Conti, chief executive officer, VIOOH: "The 2026 State of the Nation report paints a picture of a channel that has crossed a critical threshold. Programmatic DOOH is no longer a nascent or specialist channel, it is a core part of how marketers plan and buy programmatic media. The anticipated 44% increase in pDOOH investment reflects the growing confidence in its ability to deliver measurable results alongside the flexibility and control that advertisers demand. The emergence of curated marketplaces, deeper AI integration and greater first-party data activation point to an exciting next chapter. As the industry continues to build on these capabilities, we are confident that pDOOH will capture an even larger share of digital budgets in the years ahead."

The full report can be accessed here

www.viooh.com

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