TfL selects Global and JCDecaux to manage its world-leading advertising contracts10 Sep 2024

• Global, the Media & Entertainment Group, will continue to manage the rail estate, including advertising sites on the Tube, London Overground, DLR, Tram and across the Elizabeth line
• JCDecaux, the multinational outdoor advertising corporation, will continue to manage the advertising at more than 4,700 bus shelters across London
• Contracts will begin on 1 April 2025 and last for eight years, with an option for TfL to extend for a further two years

After an extensive procurement process, Transport for London (TfL) has selected Global and JCDecaux to manage its advertising estate, building on the work achieved in recent years.

The new contracts will see Global continue to manage advertising on TfL's rail estate, which includes digital and traditional paper advertising sites on the Tube, London Overground, and Elizabeth line. JCDecaux will continue to manage advertising at more than 4,700 bus shelters, carrying more than 9,000 traditional paper advertising panels and 612 digital advertising panels.

By working with these award-winning Out-of-Home media companies, TfL aims to further develop London's largest advertising estate and continues to champion new ways of bringing brands closer to those travelling across the city by Tube, bus or rail.

TfL and its media partners will work together to bring new, innovative advertising to the millions of people who use London's transport network every day. Building on the current approach, Global and JCDecaux's successful bids demonstrated how they will further utilise data, digitisation and the vast scope of TfL's lucrative advertising space to connect brands with the right audiences.

The TfL advertising estate has seen a series of exciting new campaigns and innovations across the network. This includes a 'super-sized' Adidas shoe on top of bus shelters for the opening of a new Adidas store on Oxford Street, an immersive ABBA Voyage campaign at Waterloo where those travelling on the travellators were accompanied by images of the band's members and three of the group's familiar tunes, along with subtle motion advertising at digital bus shelters and 3D anamorphic advertising being trialled across digital rail sites. By continuing to innovate and push creativity further, TfL hopes to bring more new ways for brands to reach their customers.

As part of the tender, TfL asked bidders to consider the environmental impact of advertising and to help TfL continue supporting the Mayor in his aim to make London Net Zero by 2030. To help achieve this, TfL is converting lighting in advertising panels within stations to be LED lighting, which uses up to 60 per cent less energy than traditional lighting while providing around 10 per cent brighter light. Work is also underway to convert lighting in all bus shelters across London, including those used in advertising panels, to LED lighting in the coming months.

Advertising is an important source of revenue for TfL, with *commercial media bringing in approximately £150m to TfL last financial year. This is reinvested back into the public transport network, helping to keep Londoners moving around the capital.

Emma Strain, Customer Director at TfL, said:

'Advertising income from our estate is a vital source of funding for TfL, so it's really important we work with ambitious and innovative media partners. That's why I am delighted that our trusted brand, environments and the vast, diverse audiences who use our huge estate, are in the hands of internationally recognised commercial media partners, Global and JCDecaux. The TfL advertising estate is a unique canvas in Out-of-Home advertising that brings brands to our customers as they travel around the city. Working with both of these companies means we can continue to build on what we've achieved to date and stay at the forefront of what advertisers and audiences want across the capital.'

Stephen Miron, Global's Group CEO, said:

'We are delighted to have been awarded the TfL Rail advertising contract until at least 2033, a partnership which has continued for the past 30 years. Without doubt, this is one of the most prestigious outdoor contracts in the world and it's testament to the quality of the team here at Global that TfL decided to continue their relationship with us. We are incredibly excited to implement the plans we presented in our submission, which we believe will make TfL the envy of metros around the globe and will present advertisers with an opportunity to be part of the greatest show under earth!'

Jean-François Decaux, Co-CEO of JCDecaux said:

'We are very proud to win a new 8-year contract with Transport for London, having been the trusted partner for this iconic contract in London's capital city for over 8 years. The strengthening of this long-term partnership is a recognition of JCDecaux's expertise and operational capabilities and our successful digitisation of the second-largest bus shelter advertising contract in the world. Working with TfL, we have delivered new creative, flexible and data-driven opportunities including full programmatic solutions while also enhancing the passenger experience. 81% of Londoners see bus shelter ads every week, making London's bus shelters the big reach medium that brands need. We would like to thank TfL for their continued trust and confidence in JCDecaux, the number one Out-of-Home Media company in the UK and we look forward to continuing our partnership in making London the digital OOH capital of the world.'

Tendering for the advertising contracts began in October 2023, with the new bus shelter and rail contracts both starting on 1 October 2024 with advertising commencement on 1 April 2025. These contracts will last for eight years, with an option for TfL to extend for a further two years.

For more information about TfL's advertising estate - please visit https://tfl.gov.uk/info-for/business-and-advertisers/advertising

*Commercial Media income includes: advertising, commercial partnerships, filming and photography, and brand licensing and cable car sponsorship

Notes to editors:

• For example images, please contact the TfL Press Office.
• The rail contract covers advertising London Underground stations, Tube and Rail car panels, London Overground stations, DLR stations, London Trams stops, Victoria Coach Station and Elizabeth line stations
• The bus shelter contract covers advertising on TfL's bus shelter estate and comprises of more than 4,700 bus shelters with 9,000 traditional paper advertising panels and 612 shelters with full digital advertising