AdQuick aggregates Shanghai's 16,000+ digital screens -- Nanjing Road, the Bund, Lujiazui, Xintiandi, PVG and SHA airports, and the Metro -- into one plan-buy-measure platform. Programmatic CPMs CNY 30 to CNY 240+ on Bund and Lujiazui spectaculars; from CNY 15,000 through CIIE, Shanghai Fashion Week, and Singles' Day takeovers.
Programmatic open-exchange inventory accessible through cross-border DSPs from test budgets of roughly ¥15,000–¥50,000 (USD $2,000–$7,000), with CTR-M / CODC measurement, SAMR / PRC Advertising Law compliance, and Shanghai Metro (Shentong) approval covered in one place.
Digital Out-of-Home Advertising in Shanghai
150,000+ digital screens across the Shanghai Metro (20 lines, 500+ stations), Pudong International Airport (PVG), Hongqiao International Airport (SHA), elevator networks in 20,000+ residential and Grade-A office towers, LED spectaculars on East Nanjing Road and Lujiazui, premium malls (IFC, IAPM, Plaza 66), and place-based screens — with CPMs from ¥20 elevator to ¥800+ premium landmark.
East Nanjing Road, Huaihai Road, and Lujiazui CBD landmark canvases — IFC, SWFC, Jin Mao, and Shanghai Tower adjacency. Iconic brand moments and tourism-anchor inventory quoted as weekly SOV packages.
Shanghai Metro (20 lines, 500+ stations, ~11M daily riders) operated by POAD/Shentong with JCDecaux China and Asiaray on selected lines, plus Hongqiao and Shanghai high-speed rail hubs serving the Yangtze River Delta corridor.
Focus Media-dominated residential and Grade-A office elevator LCD covering an estimated 20,000+ Shanghai buildings — the distinctively Chinese DOOH category with no direct Western equivalent.
PVG and SHA airport digital, premium malls (IFC, IAPM, Plaza 66, K11, Xintiandi, Global Harbor), bus shelters, taxi screens (Touchmedia), cinemas, gyms, and convenience stores.
Digital now represents the majority of Shanghai OOH spend, with Focus Media's elevator network setting the global benchmark for white-collar frequency.
DOOH pricing in Shanghai depends on venue type, format, daypart, campaign duration, and buying model. Four pricing models are in active use.
Cost per thousand impressions — increasingly dominant for programmatic DOOH (pDOOH) and cross-border programmatic buys. Range: ¥20–¥800+ depending on venue.
SOV / weekly package — dominant for premium Lujiazui and East Nanjing Road LED spectaculars and for direct elevator buys.
Used on Focus Media elevator networks, some metro digital, and place-based screens; you pay per insertion or per loop rotation.
Fixed impression count at a negotiated CPM, delivered via DSP against a reserved deal ID — the path JCDecaux pioneered with its first programmatic transaction in Shanghai Metro.
| Format | Typical CPM (¥) | Typical Minimum Buy | Buying Model |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elevator poster / LCD (Focus Media residential) | ¥20–¥45 | ¥30,000/week | Loop share / programmatic |
| Elevator Grade-A office LCD (Focus Media) | ¥35–¥70 | ¥50,000/week | Loop share / programmatic |
| Shanghai Metro platform D6 / digital poster | ¥30–¥60 | ¥40,000/week | SOV / programmatic |
| Shanghai Metro digital wraps & tunnel LEDs | ¥80–¥200 | ¥150,000/week | Direct / PG |
| Shanghai Metro in-train digital | ¥40–¥90 | ¥60,000/week | SOV / programmatic |
| PVG Pudong Airport digital (airside + landside) | ¥200–¥600 | ¥300,000/week | Direct / PG |
| SHA Hongqiao Airport digital | ¥150–¥400 | ¥200,000/week | Direct / PG |
| Hongqiao high-speed rail hub digital | ¥100–¥280 | ¥150,000/week | Direct / PG |
| Premium mall digital (IFC, IAPM, Plaza 66, K11) | ¥120–¥350 | ¥100,000/week | SOV / programmatic |
| East Nanjing Road LED spectaculars | Quoted by slot share | ¥300,000–¥1,500,000/week | SOV packages |
| Lujiazui CBD landmark LEDs (IFC, SWFC, Shanghai Tower adjacency) | Quoted by slot share | ¥400,000–¥2,000,000+/week | SOV packages |
| Bus shelter digital (Shanghai city centre) | ¥40–¥90 | ¥50,000/week | SOV / programmatic |
| Taxi / rideshare digital | ¥30–¥80 | ¥30,000/week | Programmatic / direct |
| Programmatic open exchange (blended cross-border) | ¥25–¥150 | ~¥15,000 test | Auction |
Ranges reflect typical Shanghai in-charge rates; agency-negotiated rates and programmatic auction clearing prices can run below these floors. Cross-border DSP pricing typically settles in USD with automatic RMB conversion. For live quotes tied to actual availability, pull pricing through the AdQuick marketplace.
DOOH inventory in Shanghai is defined by venue environment, not creative format. Below — the venue categories that matter and who owns them.
| Venue Category | Primary Media Owners | Typical CPM (¥) | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elevator LCD (residential + Grade-A office) | Focus Media (分众传媒) dominant; New Potato, CC Media, challengers | ¥20–¥70 | Urban white-collar, captive dwell, frequency |
| Shanghai Metro (platform, in-train, concourse, tunnel wraps) | POAD/Shentong Metro Group, JCDecaux China, Yagoo/Asiaray | ¥30–¥200 | Mass commuter, 11M+ daily riders |
| PVG Pudong Airport digital | JCDecaux China, Airport Media (Shanghai Airport Authority JV) | ¥200–¥600 | International travellers, luxury, business |
| SHA Hongqiao Airport digital | JCDecaux China, Airport Media | ¥150–¥400 | Domestic business travellers, YRD corridor |
| High-speed rail hubs (Hongqiao, Shanghai, Shanghai South) | POAD, Asiaray | ¥100–¥280 | Intercity travellers, YRD business |
| Premium shopping malls (IFC, IAPM, Plaza 66, K11, Xintiandi, Global Harbor) | Asiaray, Yagoo, Focus Media mall unit, in-house mall ops | ¥120–¥350 | Luxury, CPG, shopper marketing |
| Landmark LED spectaculars (East Nanjing Road, Huaihai Road, Lujiazui) | Clear Media, Asiaray, local operators, building-specific concessionaires | SOV packages | Iconic brand moments, tourism |
| Bus shelters & street furniture | JCDecaux China (under multi-year city concessions) | ¥40–¥90 | Pedestrian, hyperlocal |
| Taxi digital & rideshare toppers | Touchmedia, Tom Group, local operators | ¥30–¥80 | Nightlife, 18–40 mobile reach |
| Place-based (cinema, bars, gyms, convenience stores) | Focus Media cinema/place-based units, local networks | ¥40–¥150 | Entertainment, fitness, food & beverage |
| Highway & expressway digital | Yeshi Media, local operators | ¥50–¥120 | Drive-time YRD reach |
Two formats define Shanghai DOOH and neither has a direct equivalent in Western markets: the Shanghai Metro network (the world's longest urban rail system by route length, with 20 lines and roughly 11 million daily riders) and the Focus Media elevator network (the dominant elevator-lobby category that reaches urban white-collar audiences with captive dwell time).
| Metro Format | Dimensions / Resolution | Typical Location | Slot |
|---|---|---|---|
| Platform digital poster (D6 equivalent) | 1080×1920 portrait | Platform edges, concourses | 10–15 sec in 60-sec loop |
| Digital lightbox / column wrap | Various | Station pillars, passageways | 10 sec |
| Tunnel LED sequence | Synchronised LED array | Train-window sequential boards | 15–30 sec storytelling |
| In-train LCD | 1920×1080 | Carriage interiors | 10–15 sec loop |
| Station Digital Domination | Multiple synchronised screens | Flagship stations (People's Square, Lujiazui, Xujiahui) | Customised |
Creative approval: Metro creative is reviewed by Shentong Metro Group / POAD under Shanghai Metro advertising policies and the PRC Advertising Law. Allow 10–15 business days for clearance. Political, gambling, alcohol, pharmaceutical, investment/financial, and education/training categories all carry tight restrictions.
Focus Media (Nasdaq-delisted, A-share listed as 002027.SZ) operates the world's largest elevator media network, with an estimated 300+ million daily urban viewing opportunities nationally and Shanghai as its single largest market. Two subformats:
Focus Media is now available programmatically through select cross-border DSP deal IDs and PMPs, in addition to traditional direct buys. CTR-M audience measurement: Reach and frequency on Shanghai Metro and Focus Media inventory are reported through CTR-M and the China Out-of-Home Data Center (CODC), combining passenger counts, mobile device panel verification, and Statistics Bureau data.
China was historically a direct-sold DOOH market, but the landscape has shifted meaningfully since JCDecaux's first programmatic DOOH transaction in Shanghai Metro (the FIA-powered campaign) and the expansion of local SSPs like Yagoo. Shanghai is now the largest programmatic DOOH market in mainland China.
A DSP sends bids into an SSP representing one or more media owners. When a play opportunity opens on a screen, the SSP runs an auction (or fulfils a reserved deal) and returns the winning creative to the ad server. Screen-level identifiers, venue taxonomy, and dayparting determine which auctions your campaign participates in. Cross-border campaigns typically settle in USD via a DSP's China-compliant billing path; domestic RMB buys transact through local SSPs and agencies.
DSP and marketplace — transacts programmatically across every major SSP (Vistar, Hivestack, Place Exchange, Broadsign Reach, VIOOH, Yagoo) and aggregates direct inventory from every major Shanghai media owner (Focus Media, JCDecaux China, Asiaray, Yagoo, POAD, Clear Media, Airport Media) in a single unified plan, with native CTR-M / CODC planning, creative delivery, and attribution.
Largest pDOOH DSP globally; APAC coverage including Shanghai via SSP partnerships; strong for cross-border advertisers entering China.
JCDecaux-backed SSP with DSP functionality; partnered with Yagoo to expand China DOOH access; primary path into JCDecaux China's Shanghai Metro, PVG, and SHA airport inventory.
Local Shanghai/China SSP with deep Asiaray and local-network supply paths.
Integrated with Broadsign Reach SSP and Broadsign's CMS footprint across APAC media owners.
DOOH as a channel within TTD's omnichannel buying; growing China DOOH access.
Omnichannel DSP with DOOH module; Shanghai supply via SSP integrations and Place Exchange line items.
APAC-focused DSP/measurement platform with Shanghai supply paths and attention-led attribution.
Omnichannel DSP with DOOH module; accessible Shanghai supply via SSP integrations.
JCDecaux's SSP — primary supply path into Shanghai Metro (selected lines), PVG Pudong Airport, SHA Hongqiao Airport, and JCDecaux China street furniture.
Local Chinese SSP with deep Asiaray and local-network supply paths; primary programmatic gateway to mall, metro, and high-speed rail inventory.
Strong APAC footprint; supply-side path to Shanghai inventory across multiple media owners; accessible via deal IDs from cross-border DSPs.
Integrated into The Trade Desk, Yahoo DSP, and other omnichannel DSPs for DOOH line items in APAC; programmatic supply gateway.
SSP integrated with Broadsign's CMS footprint across APAC media owners; programmatic path into Broadsign-CMS-managed Shanghai inventory.
Vistar's supply-side platform; programmatic gateway to Shanghai inventory across multiple operators with cross-border billing support.
| Deal Type | Mechanics | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Open exchange | Auction-based, lowest CPM, broad supply access | Test budgets and broad reach campaigns; growing but still minority of Chinese DOOH |
| Private marketplace (PMP) | Invite-only deal with preferred floor and premium inventory | The most common programmatic path in China; brand-safe premium inventory |
| Programmatic Guaranteed (PG) | Fixed impression count, fixed CPM, reserved inventory | How JCDecaux's first Shanghai Metro programmatic transaction was structured; flagship guaranteed delivery |
Chinese DOOH is measured through a combination of industry bodies, with no single equivalent of the UK's Route or US's Geopath. The primary measurement sources for Shanghai are below.
The leading Chinese audience measurement firms and industry bodies that produce reach, frequency, attention, and impression data for Shanghai DOOH.
Impressions, reach, frequency, Share of Voice (SOV), CPM, CPV, store visits, WeChat mini-program engagement, branded search lift on Baidu, Tmall/JD.com traffic lift, and conversion lift where first-party data is available.
Standard specs by venue, best-practice rules, and the SAMR / metro / airport / building approval workflows that gate Chinese DOOH creative.
| Format | Resolution | Aspect | Duration | File |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Metro platform D6 / portrait mall | 1080×1920 | 9:16 | 10–15 sec | MP4, JPG, PNG |
| Metro in-train + lightbox landscape | 1920×1080 | 16:9 | 10–15 sec | MP4, JPG, PNG |
| Focus Media elevator LCD | 1080×1920 or 1920×1080 per screen | 9:16 or 16:9 | 15 sec standard | MP4 (H.264) |
| Airport / large-format mall | 1920×1080 or custom | 16:9 | 10–20 sec | MP4, JPG, PNG |
| Lujiazui / East Nanjing Road LED spectaculars | Custom (often 5760×1080 or bespoke building-specific) | Varies | Varies | Owner-specified |
All Chinese advertising, including DOOH, must comply with the PRC Advertising Law (中华人民共和国广告法) administered by the State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR). Categories with extra scrutiny in Shanghai:
Media owners, network operators, DSPs, and the unified marketplace approach for Shanghai DOOH.
Operates the world's largest elevator media network with an estimated 300+ million daily urban viewing opportunities nationally and Shanghai as its single largest market. Dominant white-collar frequency network across residential compounds and Grade-A office buildings; Nasdaq-delisted, A-share listed (002027.SZ).
Shanghai Metro (selected lines), PVG Pudong Airport, SHA Hongqiao Airport, and street furniture under multi-year city concessions. Pioneered Chinese programmatic DOOH with the first transaction on Shanghai Metro (the FIA-powered campaign).
Shanghai Metro (selected lines), high-speed rail (Hongqiao), premium malls. Strong Hong Kong–China cross-border expertise.
Metro, mall, and airport inventory; also operates Yagoo SSP for programmatic. Local Chinese SSP with deep Asiaray and local-network supply paths.
Shanghai Metro exclusive master operator. Reviews and approves all metro creative under Shanghai Metro advertising policies and the PRC Advertising Law.
PVG Pudong and SHA Hongqiao airport inventory operated as a JV under the Shanghai Airport Authority (上海机场集团).
Bus body and street-level digital across Shanghai.
Taxi digital screens across Shanghai serving nightlife and 18–40 mobile reach windows.
Outdoor digital bulletins and expressway digital across Shanghai and the Yangtze River Delta.
Shanghai expressway and YRD highway digital — drive-time reach for the Yangtze River Delta corridor.
IFC, IAPM, Plaza 66, K11, Xintiandi in-house DOOH operations — direct relationships for premium luxury and shopper-marketing flagships.
AdQuick (DSP and marketplace, unifies programmatic + direct Chinese inventory), Vistar Media, VIOOH, Yagoo, Broadsign Ads, Moving Walls, The Trade Desk (OpenPath DOOH), Yahoo DSP, and StackAdapt DOOH.
AdQuick is a DSP and marketplace that transacts programmatically across every major SSP (Vistar, Hivestack, Place Exchange, Broadsign Reach, VIOOH, Yagoo) and aggregates direct media-owner inventory from Focus Media, JCDecaux China, Asiaray, Yagoo, POAD/Shentong Metro, Clear Media, Airport Media, Touchmedia, and Tom Group into a single unified plan — with native mapping, creative delivery, CTR-M / CODC audience planning, mobile audience extension, and foot-traffic attribution. That means one platform to plan, buy, measure, and report across the full Shanghai DOOH landscape — rather than running parallel DSP seats and parallel owner RFPs, navigating bilingual paperwork, and managing cross-border billing in multiple currencies.
Where the audience concentrations are, what they look like, and the signature formats that reach them.
Audience: Finance, B2B decision-makers, international business, luxury.
Signature formats: IFC/SWFC/Shanghai Tower-adjacent LEDs, IFC Mall digital, premium office elevator.
Audience: Tourism, 18–34, entertainment-seekers, luxury shoppers.
Signature formats: Landmark LED spectaculars, large-format mall (Plaza 66, IAPM).
Audience: Hospitality, 25–45 urban professionals, tourists.
Signature formats: Mall digital, metro Line 1/2/8 interchange.
Audience: Luxury shoppers, 25–45 professionals, tech executives.
Signature formats: Plaza 66 mall, Kerry Centre, elevator office.
Audience: Design, media, creative, international schools, premium residential.
Signature formats: Xujiahui metro interchange, K11, elevator residential.
Audience: Tech and pharma, semiconductor, biotech.
Signature formats: Grade-A office elevator, metro Line 2/9/11/13.
Audience: YRD corporate HQs, international conferences.
Signature formats: Hongqiao Hub digital, SHA airport, office elevator.
Audience: Business travellers, Yangtze River Delta corridor.
Signature formats: High-speed rail concourse, airport, integrated mall.
Audience: International travellers, luxury, duty-free shoppers.
Signature formats: Airside + landside premium digital, international gates.
Audience: Expats, Japanese and Korean community, international schools.
Signature formats: Bus shelter, mall, elevator residential.
Audience: Suburban middle-class families, new-economy commuters.
Signature formats: Metro Line 1/5/10, suburban mall digital.
Audience: Students (Fudan, Tongji), young tech workers.
Signature formats: Metro Line 10, Wujiaochang mall digital.
SAMR enforcement, metro/airport approvals, category bans, and the PIPL/DSL/Cybersecurity Law data regime.
SAMR review; superlative claims and unsubstantiated performance claims are strictly prohibited; penalties can exceed ¥1M.
City-level enforcement; requires ad-approval numbers for regulated categories (pharma, medical, health food, etc.).
Shanghai Municipal regulations restrict motion, brightness, and changeover intervals on roadside digital visible from expressways.
DOOH screens themselves do not collect personal data; mobile audience extension tactics using device IDs fall under PIPL (China's GDPR equivalent, in force since November 2021) — ensure your DSP and data vendor operate with explicit consent signals and store data on Chinese soil where required.
Three viable buying paths, depending on budget, scale, cross-border complexity, and comfort with Chinese media operations.
Contact Focus Media, JCDecaux China, Asiaray, Yagoo, POAD/Shentong Metro, Clear Media, Airport Media, or local landmark concessionaires directly. Best for flagship, landmark, and large-budget direct buys (Lujiazui LED takeovers, PVG premium airport walls, Focus Media Tier-1 elevator packages). Downsides: parallel RFPs in Mandarin, RMB invoicing and domestic-entity requirements, creative-approval paperwork in Chinese, and slow plan stitching across owners — particularly challenging for international brands without a Chinese entity.
Activate through any of the DSPs buying Shanghai inventory: AdQuick, Vistar Media, VIOOH, Yagoo, Broadsign Ads, Moving Walls, The Trade Desk (OpenPath DOOH), Yahoo DSP, or StackAdapt DOOH. Best for impression-based, flexible, and data-targeted campaigns from ~¥15,000 (USD $2,000) test budgets upward. Cross-border advertisers can typically settle in USD with automatic RMB conversion. Downsides if picking a single non-unified DSP: some DSPs have limited Focus Media and POAD/Shentong Metro access, so you won't see every Shanghai SSP's supply from one seat.
AdQuick is a DSP and marketplace — it transacts programmatically across every major SSP (Vistar, Hivestack, Place Exchange, Broadsign Reach, VIOOH, Yagoo) and aggregates direct inventory from every major Shanghai media owner (Focus Media, JCDecaux China, Asiaray, Yagoo, POAD/Shentong Metro, Clear Media, Airport Media, Touchmedia, Tom Group) in a single unified plan, with CTR-M / CODC audience data, creative delivery, bilingual creative approval workflows, mobile audience extension, and foot-traffic attribution all native — plus USD settlement for cross-border advertisers. The fastest path for any international buyer entering China without a domestic entity, or any domestic buyer who wants full-market access without running parallel DSP seats and owner RFPs.
Three reference budgets — from cross-border test to flagship China-entry — calibrated to typical Shanghai media plans in 2026.
USD $2,000–$8,500 — single self-serve DSP with cross-border billing, Puxi CBD geofence, 2-week flight, 2 dayparts.
USD $35,000–$140,000 — programmatic PMP plus direct PMPs, weather/AQI-triggered DCO, mobile audience extension, foot-traffic study, 4-week flight.
USD $700,000+/quarter — direct SOV on landmark LEDs, PVG takeover, Focus Media Tier-1, rolling Tier-1-cities PMP, brand lift study, tentpole integration.
Pricing, screen counts, programmatic, measurement, compliance, and the cross-border buying logistics that determine how international brands enter Shanghai DOOH in 2026.
AdQuick is the DOOH DSP and marketplace that unifies programmatic buying across every major SSP (Vistar, Hivestack, Place Exchange, Broadsign Reach, VIOOH, Yagoo) with direct media-owner inventory across Shanghai — including Focus Media's elevator network, JCDecaux China's metro, airport, and street furniture, Asiaray's metro and high-speed rail, Yagoo's mall and metro inventory, POAD/Shentong Metro, Clear Media, Airport Media's PVG and SHA estates, Touchmedia's taxi network, and local Lujiazui and East Nanjing Road LED concessionaires.
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