What are the most cost effective digital ad placements in Times Square?

Short answer

Shared digital billboard rotations, street-level LED screens, and short-term takeovers of smaller screens offer the best value in Times Square. Entry-level shared placements start around $300 per day, while 1-2 week packages typically run $3,000 to $15,000, well below the cost of marquee spectaculars.

Times Square inventory on AdQuick

AdQuick currently lists 146 bookable Times Square units across 26 media operators. The mix spans classic large-format inventory and premium digital spectaculars:

Times Square pricing is negotiated placement by placement; transacted volume is too concentrated to publish reliable market-level rates, so treat any flat Times Square price you see quoted elsewhere with caution.

Source: AdQuick marketplace inventory as of July 23, 2026. Counts are bookable units listed on the marketplace.

Screen types that balance visibility and cost

Four placement categories consistently deliver value without the premiums attached to iconic marquee screens.

Shared digital billboards run ads in rotation with other advertisers, typically playing 10 to 20 or more times per hour. The shared model eliminates the exclusivity premium while still delivering meaningful frequency.

Street-level LED screens sit at pedestrian eye level rather than high above the street. That positioning increases dwell time and engagement compared with towering spectaculars, often at a lower rate.

Interior and in-venue screens inside retail, theaters, or transit hubs near Times Square provide localized impact at costs below those of exterior billboards.

Short-term takeovers on smaller screens let advertisers run for 1 to 7 days, tying spend to a product launch or event without committing to a full month.

By contrast, marquee screens such as the Marriott Marquis Broadway billboard, the Nasdaq digital tower, 1 Times Square digital skin wraps, and the Silvercast Media display at 1540 Broadway deliver unmatched reach but command corresponding premiums.

What Times Square digital advertising actually costs

Pricing in Times Square varies by screen size, prominence, exclusivity, duration, and timing. The table below summarizes reported ranges.

Several factors push costs up or down within these ranges: larger and more iconic screens cost more; buying a greater share of a rotation loop increases spend; holidays and major events sharply inflate demand; and evening prime hours typically carry premiums over overnight slots. Longer campaign flights can lower effective cost per thousand impressions even as total spend rises.

Production costs are a separate line item. High-quality motion graphics formatted for Times Square screens typically run $5,000 to $25,000, and budgets should also account for any street teams, activations, or documentation.

How to get more from your budget

Picking the right screen is only part of the equation. How a campaign is structured and measured determines whether the spend translates to real results.

Use trackable calls to action. QR codes, short URLs, and promo codes create a measurable link between the out of home exposure and downstream behavior such as site visits, app installs, or purchases.

Design for the environment. Times Square is visually competitive. Creative that uses bold colors, high contrast, large fonts, minimal text (roughly 10 to 12 words or fewer), and simple animation tends to register faster with a moving audience than dense or text-heavy executions.

Integrate with digital and social. Retargeting with mobile or location data, running complementary social ads, and coordinating with PR or influencer outreach extends the reach of a Times Square placement well beyond the screen itself. Treating the placement as a standalone stunt without that amplification is one of the most common ways campaigns underperform.

Schedule around key moments. Aligning a flight with a product launch, a press window, or a brand milestone multiplies the impact of the placement.

Measure beyond impressions. Web traffic lifts, QR scans, promo redemptions, branded search volume, and social mentions together give a fuller picture of campaign impact than impression counts alone.

Explore remnant and programmatic inventory. Last-minute remnant slots and programmatic DOOH platforms can reduce per-play costs, and agency bundles sometimes package multiple screens at a discount. These options make Times Square accessible to smaller and mid-sized advertisers, not just large corporations.

How AdQuick handles Times Square digital advertising

Planning a Times Square campaign involves navigating a wide range of inventory, formats, and pricing structures that can be difficult to compare without direct market access. digital billboard advertising through AdQuick gives buyers a single platform to browse available screens, compare costs across shared and exclusive formats, and manage campaign scheduling. The platform also supports measurement integrations that connect out of home exposure to trackable outcomes, making it easier to assess ROI across a full campaign rather than relying on estimated impressions alone.