Broadsign Report: Programmatic DOOH Spend Broadens Across Categories
2026-09-21 · via Digital Signage Today
Programmatic digital out-of-home advertising is spreading well beyond the early-adopter categories that once defined it, according to Broadsign's "2026 Programmatic DOOH Trends Report," summarized in a company press release. For operators selling inventory through programmatic channels, the report's message is that buyer demand is becoming more varied, not concentrated in one or two verticals.
According to the release, food and drink was the top-spending advertiser category in 2025 at 18.5% of programmatic DOOH spend, followed by shipping at 11.8%. Personal finance (10.5%) and technology (8.9%) rounded out the top four, together accounting for nearly a fifth of total spend.
Broadsign frames this spread of spend across categories as evidence that pDOOH has "proven its value across a wide range of business contexts and use cases," rather than remaining a niche tactic for a small set of advertisers.
On venue type, outdoor inventory captured the largest share of 2025 programmatic spend at 48.4%, according to the release. Retail placements took 18.5%, which Broadsign says reflects the format's proximity to real-world purchase decisions. Transit (12.7%) and entertainment venues (10.4%) followed.
For screen operators and network owners, the breakdown suggests programmatic buyers are no longer limited to traditional outdoor and transit inventory, with retail media now a meaningful slice of spend. The report does not say how these figures compare to 2024 or prior years, so it is not clear from the release whether this represents a shift in category mix or simply a snapshot of where money landed last year.
The release does not detail methodology, sample size, or geographic scope of the report, details that would help operators judge how representative the findings are for their own markets. Broadsign has not said when or whether it plans to release regional breakdowns.
The announcement in full
Reproduced from Digital Signage Today for reference. Digital Signage Magazine did not write the text below.
The programmatic digital out-of-home market is maturing and no longer limited to a small group of early adopters. The pDOOH advertiser base reflects a channel that has proven its value across a wide range of business contexts and use cases — a clear sign of a maturing market.
That's a prime finding of Broadsign's " 2026 Programmatic DOOH Trends Report ," a global snapshot of programmatic digital out-of-home activity.
Top spending advertiser categories are led with food and drink, at 18.5%, followed by shipping at 11.8%, according to a press release on the report.
Personal finance (10.5%) and technology (8.9%), the third- and fourth-largest categories, together accounted for nearly a fifth of all programmatic DOOH spend last year.
Outdoor accounted for nearly half (48.4%) of all 2025 spend. Retail (18.5%) also occupies a distinct position in the mix thanks to its proximity to real-world purchase decisions. Transit (12.7%) and entertainment (10.4%) venues followed.
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