VIOOH partners with ELAN Media for Qatar programmatic expansion

VIOOH, the London-based digital out-of-home supply-side platform, announced on September 4, 2025, a programmatic partnership with ELAN Media covering Qatar's most sought-after advertising locations. The collaboration provides access to over 220 strategically positioned digital screens across multiple formats throughout the Gulf state.

The partnership encompasses ultra-premium shopping destinations and high-impact roadside locations. According to the announcement, these venues include Mall of Qatar, Doha Festival City, Place Vendôme Qatar and the Drive! roadside network, delivering millions of monthly impressions to diverse audiences across Qatar.

Mall of Qatar serves as Qatar's first super-regional shopping centre, attracting 14.8 million visitors annually. The venue demonstrates strong consumer engagement metrics with 109-minute average dwell time and 440 QR average spending per visit. The facility houses over one hundred digital screens across multiple formats including Digital MUPIs, Digital Landmarks, The Pillars and The Iconics.

Place Vendôme Qatar represents luxury retail in the Gulf region through its mixed-use development combining retail, leisure and entertainment facilities. The destination features over 500 luxury retail outlets generating 158-minute average dwell time and 940 QR average spend per visit. The venue attracts affluent demographics with 56% Qatari visitors and average household income of 756,000 QR. Digital advertising infrastructure includes 56 premium screens featuring The Spectacular, Digital MUPIs, Luxury displays and Dancing Fountains positioned throughout canal-side plaza and luxury shopping areas.

Doha Festival City ranks among the top 20 malls globally, housing over 500 stores with 20 million annual visitors. Consumer behavior data shows 105 minutes dwell time per mall visit. The venue operates 58 digital screens across formats including Digital MUPIs, The Axis, Digital Landmark, The Runway and The Torch.

Drive! Media operates Qatar's largest roadside screen network with 53 premium digital displays across 16 locations, delivering 20.6 million impressions per two-week period. The network targets key demographics with 9.41 million adult impressions and covers locations including Al Masa, Corniche Mina District, The Gateway and Lusail.

The technical infrastructure enables programmatic buying through VIOOH's advanced technology platform connecting buyers and sellers in the DOOH space. This provides streamlined programmatic advertising experiences through automated processes rather than traditional manual negotiations.

"Our partnership with ELAN Media represents a landmark moment in the Qatar market, offering brands access to the most comprehensive premium DOOH network in the region," said Gavin Wilson, Global Chief Commercial Officer at VIOOH. Wilson emphasized that extended dwell times in premium retail environments combined with high-frequency roadside exposure creates opportunities for brands seeking comprehensive coverage across Qatar's affluent audiences.

"This partnership with VIOOH brings together our premium inventory across the country's most desirable locations with the global programmatic power of VIOOH," said Ibrahim Mohamed Hassan, Managing Director at ELAN Group. Hassan highlighted that VIOOH's expertise ensures brands can leverage their comprehensive network with precision and efficiency.

The partnership enables advertisers to access enhanced flexibility, precision targeting and improved efficiency through programmatic buying processes. These capabilities ensure maximum impact and engagement across Qatar's premium advertising locations.

VIOOH operates programmatically across 34 markets globally and maintains partnerships with over 50 demand-side platforms. The company launched in 2018 with headquarters in London, positioning itself as a premium global digital out-of-home supply-side platform making outdoor advertising easily accessible through programmatic capabilities and data integration.

ELAN Media operates as Qatar's leading media company committed to driving advertising innovation through digital out-of-home, static out-of-home, cinema, online and radio advertising channels. The company pioneered digital out-of-home advertising in Qatar by introducing sophisticated networks at Mall of Qatar, Doha Festival City, Place Vendome, Msheireb, Lusail, Woqod Stations and additional iconic Doha locations.

ELAN Media operates a joint venture with JC Decaux, the global outdoor advertising company, managing advertising networks at City Center and Villaggio Malls plus Qatar's largest solid LED sign located at the Museum of Islamic Art. The company utilizes advanced technologies measuring live audiences including people and vehicles across advertising networks, delivering near-real-time analytics on audience impressions, reach, frequency, demographics, attention time, age and gender for outdoor advertising assets.

The Qatar partnership reflects broader programmatic DOOH expansion trends across multiple markets. Recent industry developments include VIOOH's August 26 partnership with Vengo providing programmatic access to over 65,000 digital screens across the United States, representing 9% of the US digital OOH market. European expansion occurred through ECN partnership integration across UK, France and Germany office buildings, adding 870 screens generating over 73 million monthly impressions.

Industry consolidation continues shaping programmatic DOOH capabilities globally. Denmark developments included AFA Decaux's VIOOH partnership integrating 238 premium digital screens across major urban centers. Airport implementations expanded through JCDecaux India's partnership providing programmatic access to Bengaluru International Airport's 64 screens generating over 41 million monthly impressions.

The Qatar market represents strategic significance for programmatic DOOH expansion in the Middle East region. This development provides international advertisers access to premium inventory across one of the Gulf's most affluent consumer markets through established programmatic buying processes.

Digital transformation within outdoor advertising continues accelerating globally, with programmatic capabilities enabling sophisticated targeting and measurement previously unavailable through traditional outdoor advertising channels. The Qatar partnership demonstrates VIOOH's systematic market expansion strategy encompassing diverse geographical regions and venue types.

Market dynamics within programmatic DOOH demonstrate steady growth as advertisers seek efficient, data-driven campaign execution alternatives. The integration of premium inventory with established programmatic platforms facilitates seamless campaign management across multiple markets through unified buying processes.

Technical infrastructure supporting programmatic DOOH requires integration of supply-side platforms, demand-side platforms, data management systems and measurement capabilities. The VIOOH-ELAN partnership consolidates these elements into streamlined workflows enabling automated buying and optimization across Qatar's premium advertising locations.

This partnership positions both companies to capitalize on growing demand for programmatic DOOH capabilities among advertisers seeking alternatives to traditional advertising channels. The combination of VIOOH's global platform expertise with ELAN Media's premium Qatar inventory creates comprehensive coverage opportunities for brands targeting affluent Middle Eastern audiences.

Timeline

• September 4, 2025: VIOOH announces partnership with ELAN Media for programmatic DOOH across Qatar
• August 26, 2025: VIOOH partners with Vengo for US programmatic advertising expansion providing access to 65,000 digital screens
• August 5, 2025: JCDecaux India unlocks programmatic targeting at Bengaluru International Airport with VIOOH integration
• July 15, 2025: VIOOH adds Outernet's premium London inventory to programmatic platform
• June 18, 2025: Adform launches DOOH planner with inventory visualization including VIOOH partnerships
• January 27, 2025: AFA Decaux expands DOOH network in Denmark with VIOOH integration
• January 8, 2025: ECN and VIOOH partnership brings programmatic DOOH to European offices across UK, France, Germany
• December 20, 2024: Digital out-of-home advertising expands in Australian coworking spaces through FRAMEN-VIOOH partnership
• July 24, 2024: VIOOH and Intersection unite to expand US DOOH advertising across major cities

Summary

Who: VIOOH, the London-based global digital out-of-home supply-side platform, partnered with ELAN Media, Qatar's leading advertising company. Key executives include Gavin Wilson, Global Chief Commercial Officer at VIOOH, and Ibrahim Mohamed Hassan, Managing Director at ELAN Group.

What: The partnership provides programmatic access to over 220 strategically placed digital screens across Qatar's premium shopping destinations and roadside locations, including Mall of Qatar, Doha Festival City, Place Vendôme Qatar and the Drive! roadside network, delivering millions of monthly impressions.

When: The partnership was announced on September 4, 2025, marking VIOOH's expansion into the Middle East market through Qatar's premium advertising inventory.

Where: The collaboration spans Qatar's most sought-after locations including ultra-premium shopping destinations and high-impact roadside positions across major cities including Doha and Lusail.

Why: The partnership addresses growing demand for programmatic DOOH capabilities in the Middle East, enabling advertisers to access Qatar's affluent consumer markets through automated buying processes with enhanced targeting precision and operational efficiency.

PPC Land explains

Programmatic DOOH: The automated buying, selling, and delivery of digital out-of-home advertising inventory through software platforms and real-time bidding systems. This technology eliminates manual negotiations and insertion orders, enabling advertisers to purchase outdoor advertising space instantly based on specific targeting criteria, budget parameters, and performance goals. Programmatic systems process millions of bid requests per second, optimizing campaign delivery through machine learning and data analysis.

Digital Out-of-Home (DOOH): A form of outdoor advertising that utilizes digital displays, screens, and interactive technology to deliver dynamic content in public spaces. Unlike traditional static outdoor advertising, DOOH allows for real-time content updates, creative flexibility, and integration with programmatic advertising platforms for automated buying and selling processes across multiple venue types and geographical locations.

Supply-Side Platform (SSP): Technology infrastructure that enables media owners and publishers to manage, sell, and optimize their advertising inventory through automated processes. Supply-side platforms connect with multiple demand sources simultaneously, facilitating real-time auctions and ensuring maximum revenue potential for inventory owners through competitive bidding mechanisms and sophisticated yield optimization algorithms.

Digital Screens: Electronic displays and monitors positioned in strategic locations to show advertising content, ranging from LED billboards and LCD panels to interactive kiosks and video walls. These devices support various content formats including static images, animations, motion video, and HTML dynamic creatives, enabling advertisers to deliver engaging visual experiences across diverse consumer touchpoints and environmental contexts.

Dwell Time: The measurement of how long consumers spend in specific locations or venues, typically expressed in minutes or hours. This metric proves crucial for outdoor advertising effectiveness, as longer dwell times indicate greater exposure opportunities and higher likelihood of message comprehension, making venues with extended dwell times more valuable for advertisers seeking meaningful consumer engagement.

Premium Inventory: High-value advertising locations and placements characterized by strategic positioning, affluent audience demographics, superior visibility, and exceptional reach potential. Premium inventory commands higher advertising rates due to factors such as prime locations, exclusive access to desirable consumer segments, advanced technical capabilities, and proven performance metrics demonstrating superior campaign effectiveness.

Impressions: The number of times an advertisement is displayed or potentially viewed by audiences, serving as a fundamental measurement unit in digital advertising. In DOOH contexts, impressions calculate audience exposure based on location analytics, timing factors, and visibility conditions, providing advertisers with quantifiable metrics for campaign reach and frequency optimization across multiple screens and venues.

Real-Time Bidding: The automated auction process where advertisers compete for advertising inventory through instantaneous bid submissions and selections. This technology enables advertisers to evaluate and purchase individual ad opportunities within milliseconds, utilizing sophisticated algorithms to assess audience relevance, inventory quality, and campaign objectives while optimizing spending efficiency across programmatic advertising channels.

Demand-Side Platform (DSP): Software systems that allow advertisers and agencies to purchase advertising inventory across multiple ad exchanges and supply sources through automated bidding processes. DSPs provide campaign management tools, audience targeting capabilities, performance optimization features, and real-time analytics, enabling advertisers to execute complex programmatic strategies across diverse media channels and geographical markets.

Targeting Precision: The capability to deliver advertising messages to specific audience segments based on demographic, behavioral, geographical, and contextual factors. Advanced targeting utilizes data analytics, location intelligence, timing optimization, and environmental conditions to ensure advertising relevance and effectiveness, maximizing campaign performance while minimizing waste through precise audience identification and message delivery optimization.