OAAA president on what’s driving a $10bn industry in growth mode

That confidence isn’t just about the numbers. The format’s physical presence – its ability to cut through clutter and reach audiences where they actually are – is becoming more valuable in a media environment where attention is harder to hold.

“We did two panels here [at AWNY]… we had people who couldn’t get in,” Bager says. “The topic of out-of-home is really hot right now.”

1. Culture is OOH’s power play

At the heart of this growth is something uniquely OOH: its proximity to real-world moments. From sport to music to activism, marketers are aligning campaigns with cultural flashpoints that command attention.

And with a packed year ahead – from elections to global sporting spectacles – she expects momentum to build further. “Next year is a good year for us,” she says. “2026 is going to be a huge year for sports. Fifa, Formula One, the Super Bowl – and then fast forward to 2028 with the LA Olympics.”

In addition to driving eyeballs, these events create communal moments where brands can anchor themselves in the cultural conversation – an intersection that offers a structural advantage in an attention economy increasingly mediated through screens.

2. AI isn’t OOH’s enemy

If AI and algorithmic change have thrown many media strategies into flux, OOH has found itself in a rare position of strength. While digital channels worry about platform shifts and disappearing cookies, billboards and transit screens meet audiences in the physical spaces they inhabit.

“We’re not faced with the same challenges that a lot of other publishers and brands are,” Bager says. “All the traffic is taken somewhere else these days. It’s very hard to reach audiences. And I think in our space, which is really about real-life experiences and connections and physical look and feel, we’re just in a really good spot.”

And rather than threatening that position, AI is set to amplify it. This combination – a guaranteed physical presence plus smarter data and targeting – is giving OOH a rare edge in a volatile landscape. “It’s really more of an opportunity. The ability to process larger data sets and measure better because you have more input – that’s great for us.”

3. The shape of the street is changing

While landmark billboards remain powerful, the landscape is diversifying fast. Smaller, place-based digital screens are popping up everywhere from supermarkets to shopping malls, allowing brands to meet consumers in more nuanced ways.

“There are more place-based screens – in supermarkets, little delis, shopping malls. That’s kind of exploding.” At the same time, static formats – far from fading – are enjoying a renaissance. Hand-painted murals are flourishing, particularly in cities like New York, where they lend campaigns cultural and aesthetic weight.

And some brands are leaning into permanence as a strategy. “Apple doesn’t do a ton of digital. It does mostly static – either murals or just static billboards. And that’s because they’re creating a landmark. They buy a seven-year perm, put it up and you just see it and see it and see it.”

4. Transit and airports are OOH’s comeback formats

OOH’s resurgence is also being powered by some of its oldest workhorses: transit and airports. After a post-pandemic slump, both are booming again.

“One of the main drivers behind growth this last quarter was transit. It has been down for a long time. It’s back up – subway, airports. Consumers are still traveling and marketers are figuring out it’s a good spot.”

These environments offer a powerful mix: captive audiences, high dwell time and scale – exactly what many advertisers are struggling to find elsewhere.

5. Programmatic makes the medium more accessible

The physical nature of OOH once came with a practical challenge: fragmented buying and measurement. But that too is shifting.

“It’s increasingly easier. Technology, automation, programmatic is making it easier to buy across formats and vendors. At the end of the day, the brand doesn’t really care about the logo on the billboard. Before, it was a little more complicated, but it’s getting there. So it’s more accessible, both on the ease of buying and measuring.”

That ease of access isn’t just unlocking spend from major players – it’s also pulling in challenger brands, local advertisers and emerging categories.

6. Pharma, tech and challenger brands drive new growth

OOH’s growth story is also being fueled by who’s buying, with new categories taking to the medium and reshaping the commercial landscape.

“Pharma is a huge growth category,” Bager says. “Television audiences are going away. We need to find new ways to reach those kinds of audiences. AI has been a really great category for us, too.”

Pharma and tech are leading the charge, but entertainment, QSR, lawyers, CPG and challenger brands are also playing bigger roles – reflecting both the flexibility of the channel and its growing ease of entry.

The throughline to all this momentum is simple: OOH doesn’t need to find audiences; it’s already with them. That’s not to say the industry isn’t changing. It is. And fast. But as it layers in data, programmatic buying and creative formats, its greatest strength remains its most old-fashioned one: it exists in the world.

“We don’t have that problem,” says Bager. “Because we’re physically there.”