AdQuick aggregates NYC's 30,000+ digital screens -- Times Square spectaculars, the MTA subway, 1,800+ LinkNYC kiosks, JFK/LGA/EWR, and place-based screens in bars, gyms, offices, and taxis -- into one plan-buy-measure platform. CPMs $7 programmatic to $75+ on Times Square; from $1,500 to seven-figure takeovers.
Campaigns can be activated with budgets as low as $1,500 on programmatic DSPs or customized into seven-figure takeovers. New York is the single largest and most expensive DOOH market in the United States.
DOOH Advertising in New York City
DOOH advertising in New York City spans roughly 30,000+ digital screens across Times Square spectaculars, the MTA subway system, 1,800+ LinkNYC kiosks, three major airports (JFK, LGA, EWR), and thousands of place-based screens in bars, gyms, offices, and taxis. CPMs range from $7 on programmatic street-level inventory to $75+ on Times Square spectaculars.
For most brands, a NYC DOOH plan blends four inventory layers. All four can be bought programmatically through AdQuick or piecemeal through individual media owners.
Times Square spectaculars, Herald Square, Columbus Circle, Hudson Yards.
MTA subway platforms, digital liveboards, Grand Central, Penn Station, Port Authority.
LinkNYC kiosks, digital bus shelters, taxi toppers, rideshare screens.
Office lobbies, gyms, bars, restaurants, medical offices, retail media screens.
New York routinely absorbs 12–18% of national DOOH budgets despite representing a smaller share of national population.
NYC DOOH pricing varies more by venue type than any other market in the US. A programmatic open-exchange impression on a Harlem bodega screen and a direct-sold Times Square spectacular can differ by 20x or more. The table below reflects current AdQuick marketplace rates and industry benchmarks for Q2 2026.
| Venue Category | Typical NYC CPM | Monthly SOV Range | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Times Square spectaculars (direct) | $45–$75+ | $75K–$500K+ | Brand flagships, product launches, cultural moments |
| Hudson Yards / Columbus Circle LEDs | $30–$55 | $40K–$150K | Premium awareness, luxury, finance |
| JFK / LGA / EWR airport screens | $25–$50 | $15K–$80K | Travel, B2B, premium retail, tourism |
| MTA subway platform screens | $14–$28 | $8K–$40K per cluster | Reach, commuter audiences, QSR, CPG |
| MTA digital liveboards (station concourse) | $12–$22 | $6K–$25K | Commuters, retail, entertainment |
| LinkNYC street-level kiosks | $8–$18 | $3K–$12K per cluster | Hyperlocal reach, pedestrian, neighborhood targeting |
| Digital bus shelters (IKE / JCDecaux) | $7–$15 | $2.5K–$8K | Pedestrians, transit riders |
| Taxi toppers (Firefly, Curb) | $6–$14 | $1K–$5K per vehicle cluster | Urban reach, nightlife, late-night dayparts |
| Office building / elevator screens | $12–$22 | $4K–$15K | B2B, financial services, HR tech |
| Gym / health club screens | $10–$18 | $3K–$10K | Wellness, CPG, DTC |
| Bar / restaurant screens | $8–$15 | $2K–$7K | Food & beverage, entertainment, spirits |
| Retail media in-store screens | $8–$25 | Varies by retailer | Shopper marketing, CPG |
| Programmatic open exchange (blended) | $5–$15 | N/A (impression-based) | Always-on, mid-funnel, DSP-driven |
Four variables push NYC pricing above every other US market:
Unlike static billboards, NYC DOOH is sold under four distinct pricing models. Always clarify which applies before comparing quotes:
Standard for programmatic and most place-based networks.
Monthly flat rate for X% of the loop on a given screen or cluster (common for MTA, LinkNYC, and direct Times Square).
Some networks price per insertion in a fixed loop.
Pay for a guaranteed impression count regardless of time (standard for PG deals on Vistar, Place Exchange, and VIOOH).
New York DOOH planning is hyperlocal. The same budget can produce wildly different outcomes depending on which corridors and venues are activated. Below are the clusters most AdQuick buyers pair together.
Programmatic DOOH is the fastest-growing slice of the NYC market. It lets buyers activate NYC screens with the same DSP workflows used for display or CTV, with mobile audience extension, dayparting, and contextual triggers (weather, traffic, sports scores, pollen counts, stock ticks).
Full-stack DOOH DSP with access to every major NYC media owner and every programmatic SSP — direct and programmatic in one seat.
Leading pDOOH demand-side platform.
Broadsign's programmatic DSP.
JCDecaux's global pDOOH platform.
Multi-channel DSP with DOOH integrations.
OpenPath DOOH inventory path.
Omnichannel DSP with DOOH supply.
DOOH platform.
Broadsign's supply-side platform.
OUTFRONT's SSP, strong on MTA subway.
JCDecaux's SSP, strong on street furniture.
Sell-side supply for pDOOH networks.
Strong on place-based and office.
| Deal Type | How It Works | NYC Use Case |
|---|---|---|
| Open exchange | Auction-based, any buyer wins | Budget-efficient always-on reach; fringe inventory |
| Private marketplace (PMP) | Invite-only auction, curated inventory | Category exclusivity, brand-safe contexts |
| Programmatic guaranteed (PG) | Fixed price, reserved impressions | Times Square / MTA / LinkNYC reserved at scale |
NYC is one of the richest markets in the country for contextual DOOH triggers because of screen density and data availability. Common trigger patterns:
Every serious NYC DOOH plan is validated with at least one measurement partner. Buyers increasingly demand the same attribution rigor they apply to CTV and digital display.
Geopath is the OAAA-backed measurement standard. It provides audited impression counts (in "eyes on" / visibility-adjusted contacts) for virtually all OOH inventory in the US, including NYC. Every reputable NYC media owner reports Geopath numbers.
Core NYC DOOH KPIs: impressions (VAC), reach & frequency, CPM / eCPM, foot traffic lift, share of voice.
Because NYC is one of the most measurement-mature markets globally, attribution windows for DOOH are typically 7–30 days for foot traffic and up to 90 days for high-consideration categories (auto, finance).
NYC creative specs follow industry standards but layer on venue-specific variations. Most campaigns deliver three to five asset variants to cover the full plan.
The NYC DOOH market includes dozens of media owners, DSPs, and networks. Below is a neutral view of the most active players and where each fits.
Operates LinkNYC (1,800+ street-level kiosks) and a meaningful share of NYC transit and street furniture.
Holds the MTA subway and bus contract; operates Times Square, Bronx, Brooklyn, and premium Manhattan inventory.
Strong NYC-area roadside digital bulletins, airport inventory at LGA and EWR.
Airport screens at JFK, some street furniture, premium Manhattan placements.
JFK and select terminal inventory.
Aggregator and network for place-based and street-level inventory.
Office elevator and lobby screens across Midtown and Downtown Manhattan.
Rideshare-top DOOH screens on taxis and Ubers.
Taxi toppers and in-taxi screens.
Bar, restaurant, gym, and retail place-based networks.
Fuel station DOOH at gas stations in the NYC metro.
AdQuick, Vistar Media, Broadsign Ads, VIOOH, StackAdapt, The Trade Desk (OpenPath DOOH), Adomni, Yahoo DSP.
AdQuick is the only marketplace aggregating direct inventory from every major NYC media owner alongside programmatic pDOOH, with native planning, mapping, creative delivery, and measurement built in. AdQuick sits above the vendor landscape, letting buyers plan a unified NYC campaign across Times Square, MTA, LinkNYC, airports, and place-based without stitching together six vendor contracts.
New York City has some of the most specific DOOH placement rules in the country. Most media owners handle permitting, but buyers should know what shapes availability and timeline.
NYC zoning (NYC Zoning Resolution §32-67, §42-55, and subsequent amendments) restricts new outdoor advertising signs in most commercial zones outside designated advertising districts. Most of Manhattan south of 96th Street is heavily restricted for new signage; existing inventory is grandfathered and high-demand.
MTA DOOH inventory is controlled by OUTFRONT under a long-term concession; creative must pass MTA's content-standards review. Subway platform and station content may restrict certain categories (political, alcohol in some contexts, cannabis, firearms).
LinkNYC (operated by Intersection / CityBridge) has a published content policy; creative must comply with franchise agreement restrictions. All street-level creative goes through the operator's acceptance review before schedule start.
The modularity of DOOH — cheap creative, flexible dates, programmatic on/off — lets NYC campaigns scale across three very different tiers.
30-day programmatic pDOOH test in Manhattan south of 96th, targeting a 1-mile radius of a launch store.
Blended direct + programmatic campaign across four boroughs with morning and evening rush dayparting.
Full five-borough activation with Times Square or Hudson Yards spectacular anchor, MTA takeover, and airport extension.
New York is uniquely measurement-rich, and the data consistently favors DOOH as a high-recall, high-reach channel.
These numbers are why NYC routinely absorbs 12–18% of national DOOH budgets despite representing a smaller share of national population — the market's screen density, dwell time, and audience value are disproportionate.
There are three paths to buy NYC DOOH inventory.
Contact Intersection for LinkNYC, OUTFRONT for MTA and Times Square, JCDecaux for airports, etc. Best for single-venue flagship buys. Downside: six or more contracts and no unified measurement.
Open a seat on AdQuick, Vistar, The Trade Desk, or StackAdapt. Best for always-on mid-market campaigns. Downside: limited access to premium direct inventory and no creative-production support.
Plan, price, buy, deliver creative, and measure across every NYC DOOH inventory layer — direct and programmatic — in one platform. Best for campaigns that blend premium venues with programmatic extension.
Answers to the questions NYC DOOH buyers ask most often — pricing, minimums, programmatic, measurement, and regulation.
AdQuick is the only DOOH marketplace that unifies Times Square, MTA, LinkNYC, airports, place-based, and programmatic inventory in a single plan. Price inventory by CPM and share-of-voice, deliver creative to every network, and measure impressions, reach, frequency, and foot traffic lift from one dashboard.
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