Clear Channel Outdoor

What Clear Channel Outdoor does

Clear Channel Outdoor (NYSE: CCO) is a U.S. out-of-home (OOH) advertising company that sells media placements on a nationwide network of roadside billboards, digital displays, airport advertising, and transit media. Founded in 1900 and headquartered in San Antonio, Texas, the company operates 61,000+ advertising displays across 65+ U.S. markets and 55+ commercial airports, reaching an estimated 130 million Americans weekly. Following 2025 divestitures of its Spanish and Brazilian operations, CCO is now a U.S.-only pure-play focused on digital OOH transformation under a pending $6.2 billion take-private by Mubadala Capital and TWG Global (expected to close Q3 2026).

CCO monetizes three core product lines: (1) a digital and printed roadside billboard network spanning roughly 50K units across ~29 markets; (2) Clear Channel Airports, operating in 55+ commercial airports plus hundreds of private-jet terminals under multi-year concession contracts; and (3) transit advertising across bus, commuter rail, shelter, and street furniture inventory. The platform-layer differentiation comes from the proprietary CCO RADAR suite (RADARView, RADARProof, RADARConnect, RADARSync) which uses aggregated/anonymous mobile location data for audience planning, mid-flight measurement (Inflight Insights), and post-campaign attribution in partnership with Kantar. Programmatic buying is enabled through 20+ DSP integrations including The Trade Desk, Google/DV360, Hivestack, Vistar Media, and Yahoo, making 90% of premium airport digital inventory and 80% of roadside digital inventory available for automated real-time bidding.

Go-to-market is hybrid: a direct enterprise sales force provides consultative, full-service campaign management to national/regional advertisers and local businesses, complemented by agency relationships, programmatic DOOH buying, and direct contract wins with airport authorities (recent 8–10-year deals at Hollywood-Burbank, Washington Dulles, Reagan National, and Omaha Eppley Airfield). Revenue is generated through advertising spend (quote-based pricing tied to location, format, duration, and audience reach) plus ancillary creative services and the newly launched Clear Channel Impact platform (purpose-driven OOH tied to community/nonprofit outcomes). FY2025 revenue was $1.6B (+6.6% YoY) and Q1 2026 revenue reached $373.9M (+11.9% YoY), with Adjusted EBITDA up 31% in Q1 2026.

Name

Clear Channel Outdoor

Legal name

Clear Channel Outdoor, LLC

Website

https://clearchanneloutdoor.com

Company type

Public

Founded year

1900

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Clear Channel Outdoor operates a U.S. network of 61,000+ roadside, airport, and transit advertising displays reaching 130M Americans weekly, monetized through direct sales, programmatic DOOH via 20+ DSPs, and the proprietary RADAR data/attribution suite for brand advertisers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Out-of-Home Advertising

NAICS

Indoor and Outdoor Display Advertising (54185), Indoor and Outdoor Display Advertising (541850)

SIC

Services-Advertising (7310)

akta.pro primary industry

Static Billboards & Posters (Roadside, Wallscapes) (BPAFALAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Transit Advertising (Bus, Rail, Subway, Taxi, Airport Transit) (BPAFALAC)

Keywords

• Out-of-home advertising
• Digital billboard advertising
• Airport advertising
• Programmatic advertising
• Transit advertising

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations

Revenue model

1. Out-of-Home Advertising: Clear Channel Outdoor generates revenue primarily through selling advertising space on its network of roadside billboards, digital displays, airport advertising, and transit media. Revenue is generated through both direct sales and programmatic channels with pricing based on location, format, duration, and audience reach metrics.
2. Programmatic DOOH: Revenue from programmatic digital out-of-home advertising sold through demand-side platform integrations, enabling automated real-time bidding on digital inventory across airports and roadside markets
3. Creative Services: Revenue from creative development services including campaign design, production support, and consultative creative services for advertisers

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Clear Channel Outdoor sells advertising space across a U.S. network of approximately 61,000 roadside billboards (printed and digital), airport displays in 55+ commercial airports, and transit/street-furniture inventory in 65+ markets reaching 130 million Americans weekly. The company packages this physical media with the proprietary CCO RADAR data and attribution suite, programmatic DOOH buying through 20+ DSP integrations, full-service creative production, and the recently launched Clear Channel Impact community-cause platform, selling to brand advertisers and media agencies primarily through a direct sales force and programmatic channels.

Product overview

Clear Channel Outdoor (CCO) is a leading out-of-home (OOH) advertising company operating as a platform-plus-services model with three core product lines: (1) Digital Out-of-Home Billboard Network — roadside digital and printed billboards, spectaculars, wallscapes, and posters across 29 markets reaching 130M Americans weekly; (2) Clear Channel Airports — airport advertising across 55+ commercial airports reaching over half of all U.S. travelers weekly; and (3) Transit Advertising — bus, commuter rail, transit shelter, and street furniture inventory. Supporting these core media products are the CCO RADAR suite of data solutions (encompassing RADARProof for campaign attribution, RADARConnect for OOH-to-digital attribution, RADARSync for audience sync, and RADARView for audience planning), Programmatic DOOH enabling automated buying via 20+ DSPs, Creative Solutions for full-service campaign design, and the newly launched Clear Channel Impact for converting OOH spend into measurable community action. The company generates revenue by selling advertising placements across its physical inventory (billboards, airports, transit) and by providing data-driven planning, optimization, and measurement services to brand advertisers and agencies.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CCO RADAR: Suite of data solutions including RADARView, RADARProof, RADARConnect, and RADARSync for planning, measuring, and optimizing out-of-home advertising campaigns
• Clear Channel Impact
• Inflight Insights
• RADARProof
• RADARSync

Products and services

• Digital Out-of-Home (DOOH) Billboard Network Clear Channel Outdoor's nationwide network of digital and printed roadside billboards and displays enabling dynamic OOH advertising across 29+ roadside markets, reaching 130 million Americans weekly, sold to brand advertisers and media agencies.
• CCO RADAR Data Solutions Suite Proprietary suite of data solutions including RADARView, RADARProof, RADARConnect, and RADARSync that leverages aggregated and/or anonymous mobile location data to help advertisers plan, optimize, and measure OOH campaign effectiveness, sold to brand advertisers and agencies as a standalone measurement and planning platform.
• Programmatic DOOH Advertising Automated, real-time bidding and optimization of digital OOH inventory through integration with 20+ DSPs, enabling advertisers to plan, buy, and optimize OOH campaigns alongside other digital channels in a unified buying interface.
• Clear Channel Airports Airport advertising division operating in 55+ commercial U.S. airports and hundreds of private jet terminals, reaching over half of all U.S. travelers weekly through digital and printed advertising networks, experiential activations, and branded environments, sold to brand advertisers seeking to reach captive, high-income audiences.
• Transit Advertising Transit advertising inventory including bus wraps, commuter rail, transit shelters, showcase shelters, commuter hubs, and street furniture (newsracks and benches) providing targeted reach along busy vehicular and pedestrian routes in U.S. metropolitan areas, sold to advertisers targeting commuters and pedestrians.
• Creative Solutions Full-service creative team offering campaign concepting, design, and execution including 2D extensions, 3D props, 3D anamorphic images, augmented reality, and social amplification for advertisers running OOH campaigns.
• Clear Channel Impact Marketing solution enabling brands to convert OOH advertising investments into measurable support for community causes and nonprofit partnerships, with measurement frameworks tracking both marketing performance and community outcomes.
• Digital Roadblocks Premium OOH advertising format offering a daily digital takeover across 900+ digital displays in all 9 Roadside FIFA World Cup 2026 host markets, providing 30 minutes of 100% share of voice per day including Digital Full Motion Spectaculars in iconic locations like Times Square.
• Inflight Insights First in-house mid-campaign measurement solution from an OOH media owner, delivering visitation analytics during an active campaign flight to enable real-time optimization conversations and outcome improvements.
• Media Solutions Consultative campaign management service providing direct access to CCO's full-service sales team and programmatic buying tools, supporting both traditional direct sales and programmatic DOOH purchasing through coordinated teams for brand advertisers and agencies.

Quantifiable outcome

• 13.3% increase in ad awareness vs. 10.2% for TV, 3.9% for digital, and 2.2% for CTV
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration22 records

AI capability11 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core, strategic and minor.

• ExpressVPNcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 11 June 2026ExpressVPN became an Official Tournament Supporter and exclusive VPN supporter for FIFA World Cup 2026, marking ExpressVPN's largest sports deal. The partnership includes a Times Square Digital Takeover in partnership with Clear Channel Outdoor during the week leading up to the final, with ExpressVPN offering over 50 premium tickets for quarterfinals, semifinals, and final matches.
• GoodBrand ImpactcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 May 2026Clear Channel Impact platform developed in collaboration with GoodBrand Impact, enabling brands to convert existing out-of-home advertising investments into measurable support for community causes and nonprofit partnerships with measurement frameworks tracking both marketing performance and community outcomes.
• Super OptimalstrategicTechnology or Integration · 7 May 2026Partnership to integrate Super Optimal's creative scoring into future RADARProof attribution studies, enabling advertisers to evaluate creative alongside campaign outcomes. Analysis of 27 RADARProof studies with Kantar found creative quality aligned with brand performance outcomes in 70% of measured OOH campaigns.
• MattercoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 31 March 2026Matter selected as strategic communications agency of record for Clear Channel Outdoor, providing public relations and social media services. Clear Channel chose Matter for expertise supporting B2B brands and proven track record in securing high-impact coverage in tier one tech and business media.
• Omaha Airport AuthoritycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 12 March 2026Clear Channel Outdoor awarded 10-year contract with Omaha Airport Authority to provide upgraded media program at Omaha Eppley Airfield coinciding with $950 million terminal expansion. Program includes advanced digital media displays and $1 million investment to enhance passenger experience; launch scheduled with terminal opening in 2027.
• FootballcocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 March 2026First-of-its-kind partnership to distribute real-time FIFA World Cup content across Clear Channel's nationwide network of digital billboards. The collaboration reaches 65 million adults weekly through dynamically updated scores, brackets, breaking news, and cultural content, extending Footballco's digital soccer coverage into physical public spaces.
• CapMetro (Austin)strategicChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 26 January 2026Partnership to modernize transit advertising across Austin, bringing Clear Channel's digital advertising capabilities to the CapMetro transit network.
• The King CenterstrategicGTM or Marketing Partner · 7 January 2026Strategic multiphase partnership to honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King's legacy through national digital billboard campaign and activations during Black History Month, utilizing King Center's historic archives.
• Hollywood-Burbank AirportcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 4 December 2025Eight-year partnership as exclusive digital advertising partner for Hollywood-Burbank Airport (BUR) Elevate BUR project, including new terminal opening October 2026 with advanced digital display technology throughout the airport.
• Metropolitan Washington Airports AuthoritycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 21 November 2025New 10-year contract extension starting March 1, 2026 for advertising at Washington Dulles International and Reagan National Airports. Goal to upgrade digital media infrastructure and achieve 85% digital advertising coverage within two years, enhancing passenger experience and attracting global brands.
• Blood Cancer UnitedminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 14 October 2025Partnership with Blood Cancer United (formerly The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society) for billboard campaign in multiple U.S. cities to raise awareness about blood cancer and support the community affected by it.
• DSP Partners (20+)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor20+ DSP partners including Adelphic, Adform, Adomni, AdQuick, Campsite, Displayce, Google/DV360, Hivestack, Nexxen, OneView, OutMoove, Pulsepoint, Quotient, Simplifi, Sito, StackAdapt, The Trade Desk, Vistar Media, Xander, Yahoo, Zeta enabling programmatic DOOH buying through automated real-time bidding.
• KantarcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing research partnership with Kantar for RADARProof attribution studies analyzing thousands of campaigns to demonstrate OOH effectiveness versus digital and CTV; five-year study showing OOH consistently outperforms in brand metrics.
• GeopathstrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustry partnership using Geopath OOH Ratings for audience measurement and campaign planning, with Clear Channel inventory rated for reach and frequency metrics.

Scale indicators15 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Lamar Advertising Company: Lamar is the largest US OOH billboard operator and CCO's most direct rival, operating a comparable nationwide network of static and digital billboards plus interstate logo signs. Both companies compete head-to-head for national advertisers and use Geopath audience measurement, with Lamar trading as a REIT much like CCO historically did.
• Outfront Media: OUT is a US-focused OOH operator with billboards and a large transit advertising footprint across New York, Chicago, and other major metros. Same product categories (roadside digital, transit, posters), same advertiser base, similar REIT structure, making it CCO's closest pure-play listed peer.
• Intersection (Citibl): Intersection operates premium digital OOH networks, notably in the New York subway (MTA partnership), plus LinkNYC. Direct overlap with CCO's transit and digital spectacular product lines and a shared focus on programmatic and data-driven DOOH.

Broad incumbents

• JCDecaux: JCDecaux is the global #1 OOH company, dominant in street furniture, transit, and airport advertising worldwide with broader international scope than CCO. Competes with CCO in US airports and on multinational RFPs while operating complementary digital and programmatic OOH inventory at global scale.

Regional players

• Ströer: Ströer is a German-listed OOH and online advertising operator with a large digital billboard footprint across Germany and select European markets. Comparable product mix (digital roadside, transit, programmatic DOOH) and similar advertiser use cases, though it does not compete with CCO in the US.
• Focus Media: Focus Media is the dominant elevator and building-screen OOH operator in China with a significant digital OOH and programmatic stack. Same product category (digital OOH and ad-supported displays) but operates in a different geography than CCO's US-focused footprint.
• APG|SGA: APG|SGA is a leading Swiss outdoor and poster advertising operator across Switzerland and parts of Europe, with a growing digital OOH portfolio. Comparable product offering and advertiser use cases in the European OOH market where CCO has divested.

Emerging players

• Vistar Media: Vistar is a leading SSP for programmatic DOOH, integrating with CCO and JCDecaux inventory and major DSPs. It is an enabler/partner rather than a media owner, but its emergence signals where CTV-style buyer demand will flow, making Vistar a key ecosystem peer for CCO's programmatic DOOH thesis.
• Branded Cities: Branded Cities is a privately held US OOH operator focused on iconic, high-impact digital spectaculars in Times Square, LA, and other major urban markets. Comparable product on the spectaculars and premium digital billboard side, with overlapping advertiser demand.
• AdQuick: AdQuick is a self-serve DOOH marketplace platform that lets advertisers plan and buy OOH programmatically across many media owners including CCO's roadside inventory. Functions as a complementary buyer-side platform rather than a true competitor but is shaping how small/mid advertisers access CCO's network.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CCOutdoorNA
• Facebookfacebook.com/CCOutdoor
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/clear-channel-outdoor
• Instagraminstagram.com/clearchanneloutdoor

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds6 records

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments1 record

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Clear Channel Outdoor