Transport for London (TfL) has announced it is to begin its search for media partners to manage its advertising space.
A network used by millions of passengers each day, the move is part of TfL’s commercial approach to fully utilise its assets in order to generate non-fare revenue.
The opportunity would offer potential media partners the chance to manage and further develop the London transport network’s extensive advertising space.
The largest out-of-home (OOH) ad network in the UK, TfL also has a network supporting over 3.3bn customer journeys last year.
With over 4,700 advertising bus shelters, the estate encompasses of more than 9,000 traditional paper panels and 612 digital panels.
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Funds generated from these large-scale contracts – due to begin in 2025 – will be designed to be reinvested back into London’s transport network.
The announcement also marks the first time TfL is bringing both components of its advertising estate, at bus shelters and across its Rail network (including London Underground), to market at the same time.
The network’s current media partner for the Tube and Rail advertising concession is Global, while its partner for its Bus Shelter advertising concession is JCDecaux.
“The selection questionnaire is a key part of the process to tender for our next advertising concessions from April 2025,” said Transport for London’s head of commercial Chris Reader.
“This is an exciting opportunity for media partners as we look to combine commercial excellence with our prestigious advertising estate.
“We want to work with the industry in a way that allows us to attain the best partnerships and therefore best value for our customers while generating vital income to be reinvested into the transport network.”
The announcement comes amid the network unveiling its Global Poster Gallery – an exhibition at its Covent Garden museum, celebrating a century’s history of pre-digital poster advertising.
