Billboard Advertising in 2025: 27 Must-Know Statistics

Article Date: May 7, 2025

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The State of Billboard Advertising in 2025

1. According to studies from the Out of Home Advertising Association of America, ad revenue for all U.S. out-of-home (OOH) marketing is expected to reach $9-10 billion in 2025.^[1]

2. Meanwhile, the billboard market size is predicted to rise from $60.7 billion in 2024 to $62.52 billion in 2025. Among the many reasons for its growth are the many innovations in the billboard industry.^[2]

3. Most of the increase in OOH ad revenue came from the rise of digital billboards, which accounted for 41% of worldwide revenue and earned them approximately $20 billion in 2024.^[3]

4. In the United States alone, 16,000+ digital billboards are set up across multiple states, accounting for a total increase of 40% in production and usage year over year.^[4]

5. This also means that digital billboards are growing at an estimated 6% compound annual growth rate (CAGR).^[23]

6. Influencer marketing has also contributed to the rise of billboards, with 67% of consumers likely to notice and buy products after seeing their favorite online influencers endorse them through physical billboards.^[5]

Simply put, companies endorse online personalities via billboards, driving OOH visibility. At the same time, influencers get to post selfies of these billboard ads on their social media, driving online engagement. It’s a win-win.

The Target Audience: Stats on People and Billboards

Speaking of influence, billboard advertising continues to leave a lasting impression, whether through brand recollection or customer action. They don’t just catch people’s attention; some can influence what they buy and recommend.

7. According to YouGov’s survey and data in 2024, 48% of millennials and 48% of Gen Z will recommend products they’ve seen advertised on posters and billboards.^[7]

8. The same data also showed that 34% of Gen X and 23% of baby boomers will do the same, showing how billboards could still entice and influence people of different ages.^[7]

Going into the specifics, you could also see customer actions upon seeing these physical ads.

9. 54% of Gen Z and 53% of millennials will search the brands online when they see a billboard ad they pass by.^[7]

10. 66% of them will use their smartphones, searching the brand and visiting the website. Others may also try to find the nearest physical store and visit it.^[7]

11. Speaking of visiting stores, 20% of potential customers will go to the store immediately after seeing a directional billboard.^[7]

12. And out of those potential customers, 74% of store visitors will likely make a purchase just because they saw the billboard ad.^[7]

13. Billboard ads also tend to have a high recall rate, with 80–85% of people remembering them, higher than TV, radio, and online ads. The OAAA argues that because of post-pandemic practices, people are going out and seeing more billboards than ever.^[9]

14. Meanwhile, out of the overall billboard statistics, 83% of customer recall came from digital billboards.^[10]

Billboards as a Marketing Investment

So, upon seeing the statistics regarding audience response, you might want to jump onto the billboard bandwagon. Still, as with any marketing tool, billboards are an investment, and you should look into some numbers regarding billboards as an investment and returns.

15. According to the OAAA, these industries were the top ten spenders for advertising in 2024, which included billboard marketing:^[11]

Legal services
Hospitals, clinics, and medical centers
Domestic hotels and resorts
Quick-service restaurants
Consumer banking
Colleges and universities
Local government
Chain food stores and supermarkets
Computer software

16. Some of the top spending brands for the year include Apple, McDonald’s, Amazon, Coca-Cola, Verizon, Disney, and Anheuser-Busch.^[12]

17. Placement-wise billboard ads yield higher engagement and recall rates in high foot traffic areas or along highways with slow-moving traffic. Areas like the Long Island Expressway, Interstate 69 in Houston, and Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles are among the few hotspots to invest in for billboard ads.^[13]

18. In 2022, digital billboard advertising delivered a 38% ROI, not factoring in design, branding, and other key elements.^[16]

What about the ROI on the billboard advertising?

19. Meanwhile, traditional billboards offered a 40% return on investment in the same year.^[17]

With the current trajectory in OOH marketing, the “digital side of physical promotions” or digital out-of-home (DOOH) would continue to grow further, eventually surpassing traditional methods like static billboards.

The Billboard Transition: Digital vs. Traditional

Based on the aforementioned statistics, it seems like billboards have also seen their share of innovation, with digital variants becoming more popular over traditional static ones.

20. Many groups have observed that digital billboards get 400% more views than static billboards.^[24]

21. At the same time, the motion ads seen on billboards 81% more effective at grabbing attention.^[24]

Still if we look into billboards as investments, there are many perks for going on the traditional route.

22. Cost-wise, static billboards offer lower upfront cost and is very reliable for long-term visibility for one campaign.^[19]

23. Digital billboards, meanwhile, have a higher upfront and maintenance cost. Their advertising is flexible, and offers real-time updates and multiple ad rotations, but programming and upkeep could be more costly.^[19]

The Future of Billboards

24. Billboard advertising continues to dominate worldwide, with ad spending projected to surpass $10 billion in the US by 2027.^[20]

25. This includes the innovation of traditional static signage through QR codes that boost awareness by 200%.^[21]

26. Strategies to integrate sustainable methods are also in the pipeline, with 78% of consumers vying for eco-friendly forms of promotion. One primary focus is utilizing solar energy for billboards.^[22]

27. Another green initiative are the movable billboards and new digital signs that cuts 75% on electricity costs.^[22]

Now, whether through digital integration or sustainable strategies, one thing is certain: the goal for billboards is to continue innovating and reaching more people, as OOH advertising is as strong as ever.