• by Wayne Friedman , January 10, 2017

Worldwide out-of-home media -- which includes place-based video networks, other digital media and traditional out-of-home platforms -- showed strong growth in 2016.

Out-of-home (OOH) revenues were up 6.2% to $49.23 billion in 2016, per a research report from PQ Media.

This increase came with with a smaller 1.5% rise in worldwide consumer time spent with OOH platforms, totaling 66 minutes a week. Research shows that much of the gain in consumer usage of OOH came via digital signage during the Rio Summer Olympics, as well as improved traditional OOH platforms in transit locations.

In 2015, there was an overall 5.4% global revenue growth of OOH and a similar 1.5% rise in consumer time spent.

Revenue from digital OOH platforms was a major reason for the overall growth -- which rose 12.6% in 2016 to $12 billion. Digital share of all global OOH is now at 24.1% in 2016, up from 16.8% in 2010.

One solid segment of digital OOH is digital-placed based video networks, which were 12.2% higher in 2016 to $8 billion globally. Digital billboards/signage rose 13.5% to $3.7 billion.

Traditional OOH remains the largest OOH channel, reaching almost $35 billion in 2016, up 4.1% from 2015. Ambient OOH -- media in non-traditional places, such objects, vehicles and unique locations -- rose 7.8% to $2.8 billion.