branded cities
Branded Cities is a Toronto-headquartered out-of-home advertising company operating premium static and digital signage across 9+ major North American markets, including Times Square, Las Vegas Strip, and Yonge-Dundas. It serves enterprise brand advertisers via spectaculars, experiential activations, and multi-format media campaigns.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1998
- HeadquartersToronto, Canada
- Headcount—
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What branded cities does
Branded Cities is a Toronto-headquartered out-of-home (OOH) advertising company founded in 1998 that owns and operates premium static and digital signage assets across 9+ major North American markets. Its portfolio includes high-profile locations such as Times Square, the Las Vegas Strip, Yonge-Dundas in Toronto (with 50,000+ square feet of digital inventory), Union Station, West Edmonton Mall, and assets in Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco, Washington DC, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Denver, Montreal, and Ottawa. The company monetizes these physical assets by selling campaign-based media to enterprise brand advertisers and their agencies.
Its product surface spans traditional static and digital spectaculars, the ACTIVATE experiential and livestream platform, 3D anamorphic display executions, weather-triggered programmatic creative, and a Mapping Tool used for campaign planning. Customers span entertainment (Disney, Netflix, Paramount+), automotive (Porsche, Mercedes-Benz), food and beverage (DoorDash, Nespresso, Pepsi, M&M's, IKEA, Maple From Canada), fashion (YSL), music (Spotify, Drake), beauty (Clarins), and consumer technology (Samsung). The business model is B2B media sales — primarily campaign- and annual-based contracts — with revenue mechanics tied to physical inventory utilization, format premium, and duration of placement.
The company is privately held, with ownership shared between EL Media (an Ellman Companies affiliate) and Shamrock Capital (which made a growth investment in 2017). It has grown through a combination of acquisitions — Clear Channel Outdoor Canada in August 2017 and Red Star Outdoor's Chicago billboard inventory in July 2018 — and operating-rights wins, including a long-term partnership with Rogers Sports & Media (2021) for Rogers Tower redevelopment, West Edmonton Mall digital spectaculars (2021), and ROYALMOUNT in Montreal (2024).
branded cities firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- branded cities
- Legal name
- Branded Cities Network
- Website
- https://brandedcities.ca
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1998
- Operating status
- Operating
- Short description
- Branded Cities is a Toronto-headquartered out-of-home advertising company operating premium static and digital signage across 9+ major North American markets, including Times Square, Las Vegas Strip, and Yonge-Dundas. It serves enterprise brand advertisers via spectaculars, experiential activations, and multi-format media campaigns.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
branded cities industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Out-of-Home Advertising
- NAICS
- Indoor and Outdoor Display Advertising (54185)
- SIC
- Services-Advertising (7310)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Large-Format / Spectacular OOH (Building Wraps, Digital Spectaculars) (MPAAAKAF)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Street Furniture Advertising (Bus Shelters, Kiosks, Benches, Phone Booths) (BPAFALAD), Place-Based / Retail Media Networks (In-Store Screens, Malls) (MPAAAKAE), OOH Media Planning, Buying & Inventory Aggregation (BPAFALAJ)
Keywords
Where branded cities is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Toronto
- HQ country
- Canada
- HQ region
- North America
Offices4 records
Markets served
branded cities business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Out-of-Home Advertising: Branded Cities generates revenue through selling advertising space on its network of digital and static Out-of-Home media assets across North American iconic locations. Advertisers purchase ten-second ad spots throughout multi-minute loops, full takeovers, and multi-format campaign packages.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Custom advertising packages based on location, format, and campaign scope |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels5 records
branded cities product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Branded Cities sells advertising space on its owned network of digital and static Out-of-Home (OOH) media assets concentrated at iconic North American locations such as Yonge-Dundas Square, Union Station, The Well, ROYALMOUNT, West Edmonton Mall, Times Square and the Las Vegas Strip. Advertisers buy ten-second spots in multi-minute loops, full takeovers, and multi-format campaign packages, supported by in-house creative/production services, the Mapping Tool for campaign planning, and the ACTIVATE experiential/mobile engagement service.
Product overview
Branded Cities operates a unified Out-of-Home (OOH) advertising network offering digital and static signage across iconic North American locations. The portfolio centers on premier media locations including Yonge & Dundas in Toronto (featuring Rogers Tower, TEC Tower, 10 Dundas, and Atrium on Bay), Union Station, The Well, ROYALMOUNT in Montreal, and West Edmonton Mall. Supporting capabilities include Street Furniture networks, Spectaculars on major highways, and campaign planning tools (Mapping Tool, ACTIVATE experiential services, Digital, and Mobile advertising). The company provides full creative and production services to complement its media network. Founded in 1998, Branded Cities is owned by EL Media and Shamrock Capital, with headquarters in Toronto and operations spanning nine major North American markets.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Yonge & Dundas Iconic Out-of-Home media location in Toronto featuring digital and static spectaculars including the Rogers Tower, TEC Tower, 10 Dundas, and Atrium on Bay media towers with over 50,000 square feet of advertising space.
- Union Station Canada's busiest building featuring digital spectaculars, the MOAT digital screens, Bay Promenade Digital Screens, and York St. East Teamway with 16 digital screens across the pedestrian walkway; over 300,000 daily commuters.
- The Well
- ROYALMOUNT Luxury shopping and entertainment destination in Montreal featuring Digital Hanging Banners and other premium OOH media opportunities.
- West Edmonton Mall North America's largest shopping mall featuring Lake Digital Spectacular, 360-degree puck-style digital spectacular above the ice rink, and hanging banner displays.
- Street Furniture
- Spectaculars
- ACTIVATE
- Digital Advertising
- Mobile Advertising
- Creative and Production Services
Quantifiable outcome
- 95% recall rate for campaigns
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use branded cities
Customer profileNamed customers22 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
branded cities technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
branded cities partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- West Edmonton Mall Property Inc.corePartnership for digital spectaculars at North America's largest shopping centre. Includes a 360-degree 'puck style' digital spectacular above the ice rink and a digital screen above the Pirate Ship and indoor lake attraction.
- Rogers Sports & MediacoreLong-term agreement for the re-development of the Rogers Tower at Yonge & Dundas in Toronto. The tower features a 34ft W x 90ft H digital display. Rogers Sports & Media is the owner of Citytv and OMNI Television stations.
- Spark FoundryminorAgency partner for Starbucks holiday tree lighting campaign at CF Toronto Eaton Centre. Collaborated with Cadillac Fairview to heighten the annual event.
- Rogers Sports & MediacorePartnership for M&M's #ForAllFunKind campaign at Yonge & Dundas Rogers Tower, winning Best Creative and Best High-Impact at 2025 Canadian OOH Awards.
- Cadillac FairviewcorePartnership for CF Toronto Eaton Centre digital tower, home to Canada's largest digital OOH display at over 8,454 square feet. Cadillac Fairview is owned by the Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan.
Scale indicators9 records
Recent moves11 records
Expansion highlights6 records
branded cities competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Vivid Outdoor: Independent Canadian OOH operator focused on iconic digital spectaculars and static billboards in major Canadian markets. Comparable as a competitor in the same premium-location, large-format digital OOH category.
- OUTFRONT Media: US-listed OOH media company operating transit, billboard, and digital place-based assets. Comparable in offering digital and static OOH across iconic urban and transit environments with a similar sales-led agency and brand GTM motion.
- Captivate: North American place-based digital OOH network in office towers, residential elevators, and fitness centers. Comparable as a digital-OOH peer competing for brand and agency budgets with place-based, premium-environment inventory.
- Clear Channel Outdoor Holdings: Largest publicly traded OOH operator in the Americas with static and digital billboards across the US and international markets. Directly comparable as a premium-location OOH media seller; Branded Cities actually acquired Clear Channel Outdoor's Canadian stake in 2017.
- Lamar Advertising Company: Major US-listed OOH operator with a large static and digital billboard portfolio across the US. Comparable as a direct competitor for national brand OOH budgets and roadside spectacular inventory.
- Intersection Media: Premium urban OOH and place-based media operator managing high-traffic digital networks in airports, transit hubs, and LinkNYC kiosks. Comparable as a place-based/digital OOH peer serving brand and agency clients with similar iconic-location focus.
Others
- APCO Worldwide / Rogers Sports & Media (advertising services arm): Adjacent partner/ecosystem participant: Rogers Sports & Media is both a property partner (Rogers Tower) and a media seller competing for adjacent Canadian OOH and television ad budgets. Useful as a strategic counterparty reference rather than a direct competitor.
Broad incumbents
- JCDecaux: Global OOH market leader headquartered in France with extensive street furniture, transit, and digital display networks across North America including Canada. Overlaps with Branded Cities on street furniture (transit shelters, kiosks) and premium urban digital inventory.
- Stroer SE & Co. KGaA: European-listed OOH and digital out-of-home leader with operations in Germany and growing US presence. Comparable as a multi-format OOH operator with digital spectaculars and integrated media sales.
Regional players
- Pattison Outdoor Advertising: Canada's largest OOH company, operating static and digital billboards, transit, and place-based advertising across Canadian markets. Directly comparable to Branded Cities for Canadian brand and agency budgets in overlapping geographies.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
branded cities social profiles
Digital presencebranded cities financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
branded cities leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
branded cities subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries2 records
branded cities funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
branded cities M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about branded cities
What does branded cities do?
Branded Cities sells advertising space on its owned network of digital and static Out-of-Home (OOH) media assets concentrated at iconic North American locations such as Yonge-Dundas Square, Union Station, The Well, ROYALMOUNT, West Edmonton Mall, Times Square and the Las Vegas Strip. Advertisers buy ten-second spots in multi-minute loops, full takeovers, and multi-format campaign packages, supported by in-house creative/production services, the Mapping Tool for campaign planning, and the ACTIVATE experiential/mobile engagement service.
Is branded cities a public or private company?
branded cities is a private company. It is classified as private equity controlled and is currently operating.
When was branded cities founded?
branded cities was founded in 1998.
Where is branded cities based?
branded cities is headquartered in Toronto, Canada, in the North America region.
How does branded cities make money?
One revenue line is on record: out-of-Home Advertising.
Who are branded cities's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Vivid Outdoor, OUTFRONT Media, Captivate, Clear Channel Outdoor Holdings, Lamar Advertising Company and Intersection Media. APCO Worldwide / Rogers Sports & Media (advertising services arm) is listed as an others. Broad incumbents are JCDecaux and Stroer SE & Co. KGaA. Pattison Outdoor Advertising is listed as a regional player.
Does branded cities have an API?
No public API is recorded for branded cities.
What industry is branded cities in?
branded cities's product category is Out-of-Home Advertising. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAAAKAF, Large-Format / Spectacular OOH (Building Wraps, Digital Spectaculars), with a secondary code of BPAFALAD, Street Furniture Advertising (Bus Shelters, Kiosks, Benches, Phone Booths). Its NAICS code is 54185 and its SIC code is 7310.