Broadsign enables advance DOOH booking through StackAdapt partnership

Out-of-home advertising technology provider Broadsign announced on November 13, 2025, a collaboration with marketing technology platform StackAdapt and media owner Branded Cities that enables automated, in-advance digital out-of-home (DOOH) transactions across North America. The partnership allows advertisers to reserve premium DOOH inventory months ahead of activation through programmatic infrastructure, eliminating manual negotiation processes typical of traditional outdoor advertising purchases.

The alliance introduces programmatic guaranteed buying capabilities to North American DOOH markets, building on Broadsign's European rollout of its In-Advance product earlier in summer 2025. StackAdapt buyers can now book guaranteed inventory from Branded Cities' large-format, high-impact displays through the demand-side platform's interface, applying the same targeting tools and real-time triggers used across other digital channels.

B2B marketing agency Ledger Bennett executed the first campaign using this technology in July 2025, reserving Branded Cities screens four weeks in advance for one of its clients. According to Jenija Manandhar, Head of Media at Ledger Bennett, "We were able to easily find the Branded Cities inventory slots we wanted and secure them 4 weeks out in minutes versus days."

The development addresses operational friction in DOOH advertising. Traditional direct buys require prolonged negotiations between media buyers and outdoor advertising companies, involving multiple rounds of communication to secure specific inventory and finalize pricing. Programmatic guaranteed transactions automate this process while maintaining the certainty advertisers seek when planning campaigns around specific events or locations.

Transactions occur within StackAdapt's platform, enabling buyers to view unified DOOH analytics alongside reporting from other digital channels. This integration positions DOOH within omnichannel campaign workflows rather than treating outdoor advertising as a separate planning exercise. According to Manandhar, "At the end of the campaign, it was also easier to compare results across ad channels because all the reporting and analytics were available in one central platform."

The technical implementation relies on Broadsign's Supply-Side Platform infrastructure. Broadsign SSP connects outdoor media owners with programmatic demand partners, facilitating automated transactions through standardized advertising technology protocols. The system processes inventory availability, pricing, and campaign specifications without requiring manual insertion orders or custom contract negotiations.

Nick Ortega, Director of DOOH and Emerging Channels at StackAdapt, described the capability as combining advantages of direct and programmatic buying. "They can secure premium inventory around global or local events and reach audiences when it matters most," Ortega stated. The integration provides guaranteed access to high-impact screens while maintaining streamlined workflows, transparency, and real-time reporting.

Branded Cities serves as the first North American media owner offering inventory through Broadsign's in-advance transaction system. Roger Wood, Director of Digital Growth and Programmatic at Branded Cities, emphasized operational improvements: "Internally, we've already been able to improve operational efficiency, attract new buyers, and optimize yield." The media owner operates digital displays across major North American markets, including large-format screens in high-traffic urban locations.

The partnership reflects broader programmatic DOOH infrastructure development across multiple markets. Supply-side platforms have been expanding capabilities to support different transaction types, ranging from open auction real-time bidding to programmatic guaranteed deals that provide inventory certainty at fixed pricing.

Programmatic guaranteed represents one of several automated buying methods available in digital advertising. Unlike open auctions where multiple advertisers compete through real-time bidding, programmatic guaranteed involves predetermined agreements between buyers and sellers. Inventory allocation and pricing are established before campaigns launch, while transaction processing and campaign management utilize programmatic technology infrastructure.

This approach addresses specific advertiser requirements that real-time bidding cannot fully satisfy. Campaigns tied to specific dates, locations, or events benefit from advance inventory confirmation. Major product launches, sporting events, conferences, and seasonal promotions often require advertisers to secure outdoor advertising placements weeks or months ahead of activation dates.

Drew Thachuk, Head of Channel Partnerships at Broadsign, positioned the development within broader industry trends. "There are few ad channels today that can command an audience's attention and drive real-world engagement like OOH," Thachuk stated. "Yet accessing this powerhouse isn't always easy for omnichannel buyers, because direct OOH and programmatic omnichannel have been largely siloed until now."

The announcement follows Google's implementation of technical requirements for DOOH inventory monetized with Google-served ads, effective May 1, 2025. These requirements introduced specific parameters for DOOH inventory identification and measurement, reflecting the platform's effort to standardize practices across emerging channels.

Digital out-of-home advertising operates through different technical infrastructure than traditional static billboards. Digital screens connect to content management systems and advertising servers, enabling dynamic creative delivery and programmatic transaction processing. Advertisers can schedule different creatives based on time of day, weather conditions, or real-time data triggers.

The sector has experienced significant platform partnerships throughout 2025 as demand-side platforms and supply-side platforms establish connections for automated DOOH trading. These integrations reduce operational overhead for media buyers managing campaigns across multiple channels while providing outdoor media owners with access to programmatic advertising budgets.

Broadsign operates as a technology provider serving outdoor media owners, agencies, and brands. More than 2 million static and digital signs globally run on Broadsign infrastructure, spanning airports, shopping malls, retailers, transit systems, and other environments. Media owners including Outfront, Pattison Outdoor, Global, and Intersection utilize Broadsign technology for business operations and campaign execution.

StackAdapt provides multi-channel programmatic advertising capabilities, enabling marketers to execute campaigns across display, video, connected TV, native, audio, and DOOH formats through a unified platform. The company has expanded its infrastructure throughout 2025, including partnerships for streaming TV advertising optimization and first-party data activation.

Branded Cities operates digital out-of-home advertising networks across North American markets, maintaining inventory in high-traffic locations. The company's portfolio includes large-format displays designed for high-impact visual advertising in urban environments.

The collaboration addresses what IAB Australia identified in August 2025 as a significant barrier to programmatic DOOH adoption: 36% of surveyed marketing professionals cited lack of understanding as preventing larger investment shares. Industry education initiatives have focused on clarifying buying methods, targeting strategies, creative considerations, and measurement frameworks specific to programmatic outdoor advertising.

Broadsign's in-advance transaction capabilities are available to SSP customers and demand partners for early adoption. Media buyers seeking to leverage automated, in-advance DOOH transactions powered by Broadsign must confirm support with their demand-side platform partners, as technical integration requirements vary across advertising technology providers.

The partnership signals continued infrastructure development for outdoor advertising automation. As programmatic capabilities expand across media channels, outdoor advertising companies face pressure to adopt automated transaction processing, precise targeting options, and detailed performance measurement standard in digital environments.

Timeline

• Summer 2025: Broadsign launches In-Advance product in European markets, establishing programmatic guaranteed capabilities for DOOH inventory
• July 2025: Ledger Bennett executes first North American campaign using Broadsign In-Advance technology through StackAdapt platform, reserving Branded Cities inventory four weeks ahead of activation
• August 2025: IAB Australia releases comprehensive programmatic DOOH buyers guide, addressing knowledge gaps preventing larger investment in programmatic outdoor advertising
• August 2025: VIOOH expands programmatic DOOH capabilities in Brazil through partnership with RZK Digital, demonstrating continued Latin American market development
• November 2025: BIG OUTDOOR partners with VIOOH to add US inventory to programmatic platform, expanding North American programmatic DOOH access
• November 13, 2025: Broadsign, StackAdapt, and Branded Cities announce collaboration enabling automated in-advance DOOH transactions across North America

Summary

Who: Broadsign (out-of-home advertising technology provider), StackAdapt (marketing technology platform), Branded Cities (OOH media owner), and Ledger Bennett (B2B marketing agency serving as first campaign executor).

What: Launch of automated, in-advance digital out-of-home transaction capabilities enabling programmatic guaranteed inventory reservations. StackAdapt buyers can reserve Branded Cities DOOH inventory months ahead of activation through programmatic infrastructure, eliminating manual negotiation processes while maintaining inventory certainty and fixed pricing.

When: Announced November 13, 2025, following Ledger Bennett's initial campaign execution in July 2025 and European rollout of Broadsign In-Advance earlier in summer 2025.

Where: North American markets, starting with Branded Cities' large-format displays in major urban locations. The capability extends Broadsign Supply-Side Platform's network of In-Advance demand and media owner partnerships beyond European markets.

Why: Addresses operational inefficiencies in DOOH advertising where traditional direct buys require prolonged negotiations and manual setup. Enables omnichannel buyers to reserve premium outdoor inventory using familiar programmatic workflows, apply advanced targeting tools, and view unified analytics alongside other digital channels. Provides outdoor media owners with operational efficiency improvements, access to new buyers, and yield optimization while maintaining guaranteed inventory delivery and pricing certainty for advertisers planning campaigns around specific events or locations.