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Digital Billboard Statistics 2026: 55+ Sourced Numbers
By Gabie Research · Updated Oct 12, 2026 · 12 min read
Short answer
The US had about 25,000 digital billboards at the end of 2025, per OAAA. Digital was 36.3% of out of home revenue in 2025 and 38.4% in the second quarter of 2026. Lamar runs about 5,500 digital billboards, Clear Channel Outdoor 2,001 and OUTFRONT 1,928. Six to eight ads share a face. The OAAA says ads often change every six to eight seconds. State minimums we read run from 5 to 10 seconds.
- The US had about 25,000 digital billboards at the end of 2025. Lamar, OUTFRONT and Clear Channel Outdoor held about 9,400 of them, or 38%.
- Digital was 36.3% of out of home revenue in 2025 and grew 10.5%. In Q2 2026 it was 38.4% and grew 18.5%.
- Digital billboards made about 33% of Lamar's billboard revenue and about 31% of OUTFRONT's, from a small share of each company's boards.
- Six to eight advertisers usually share one face. The OAAA says ads often change every six to eight seconds.
- State rules we read set the minimum hold at 5 seconds in Pennsylvania, 6 in Florida, 8 in five states and 10 in Illinois.
The US had about 25,000 digital billboards at the end of 2025, per the OAAA. Digital was 36.3% of out of home revenue in 2025. It rose to 38.4% in the second quarter of 2026.
This page lists digital billboard numbers in one place. Each row gives the figure, the year and the source. We use primary sources: OAAA, company filings, FHWA and state rules. Our own math is marked.
Key digital billboard statistics at a glance
- About 25,000: digital billboards in the US at the end of 2025.
- 36.3%: digital's share of out of home revenue in 2025.
- 38.4%: digital's share in the second quarter of 2026.
- About 5,500: Lamar's digital billboards, about 33% of its billboard revenue.
- 1,928 and 2,001: OUTFRONT's and Clear Channel Outdoor's US digital billboards.
- Six to eight: ads that usually share one digital face.
- 5 to 10 seconds: the minimum hold time in the eight states below.
How many digital billboards are there in the US?
OAAA counts displays by format each year. The three public operators report their own counts. Together they hold more than one in three digital billboards.
| Statistic | Figure | Year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Digital billboards in the US | About 25,000 | End of 2025 | OAAA Facts & Figures |
| Same count in OAAA's February 2026 trends deck | About 25,000 | End of 2025 | OAAA trends deck |
| Bulletins, counted apart from digital | About 210,000 | End of 2025 | OAAA Facts & Figures |
| Posters, counted apart from digital | About 160,000 | End of 2025 | OAAA Facts & Figures |
| Digital billboards held by Lamar, OUTFRONT and Clear Channel Outdoor | About 9,400, or about 38% of OAAA's count (our math) | End of 2025 | Company 10-Ks, below |
The company counts differ a little in scope. Lamar's 5,500 includes boards in Canada. OUTFRONT's and Clear Channel's counts are for the US. So treat the 38% as a close guess. The rest of the 25,000 belong to hundreds of smaller operators.
How much of out of home revenue is digital?
Digital out of home, or DOOH, covers every screen that shows ads. That includes digital billboards, transit screens and screens in stores. Digital billboards are one part of it. The OAAA reports it each quarter.
| Statistic | Figure | Year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| US out of home ad revenue | $9.46 billion | 2025 | OAAA |
| Digital share of out of home revenue | 36.3% | 2025 | OAAA |
| Growth of digital out of home revenue | 10.5% | 2025 | OAAA |
| Implied digital revenue | About $3.43 billion (our math: 36.3% of $9.46 billion) | 2025 | OAAA, our math |
| Digital share of out of home revenue | 36%, up 12.9% | Q1 2026 | OAAA |
| Growth of digital billboard revenue | 8.1% (all billboards grew 4.8%) | Q1 2026 | OAAA |
| Digital share of out of home revenue | 38.4%, up 18.5% | Q2 2026 | OAAA |
| Programmatic share of digital out of home | 30% | 2025 | OAAA Facts & Figures |
| Forecast growth of US digital out of home | 9.0% a year, 2026 to 2030 | Forecast | Clear Channel Outdoor 10-K |
Digital is growing faster than the whole industry. Out of home as a whole grew 3.6% in 2025. Digital grew 10.5%. In the second quarter of 2026, digital grew 18.5%. The forecast comes from the Omnicom U.S. Advertising Market Model, as quoted in Clear Channel's report.
Programmatic means ads bought by software, often a play at a time. It was 30% of digital out of home in 2025.
What do the public operators report?
The three public operators file a 10-K each year. These are the digital numbers from their 2025 reports. We start with Lamar, the largest.
Lamar
| Statistic | Figure | Year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Digital billboards | About 5,500, in 43 states and Canada | End of 2025 | Lamar 10-K |
| Operating digital units | 5,553 | End of 2025 | Lamar Q4 call |
| New digital units | 559 added over year-end 2024; about 320 built by Lamar and the rest bought; 111 added in Q4 | 2025 | Lamar Q4 call |
| Digital share of billboard net revenue | About 33% | 2025 | Lamar 10-K |
| Digital share of all revenue | 31.6% for the year; 33.7% in Q4 | 2025 | Lamar Q4 call |
| Digital capital spending | $90.9 million of $180.8 million | 2025 | Lamar 10-K |
| Programmatic share of its outdoor business | 2% | 2025 | Lamar 10-K |
OUTFRONT
| Statistic | Figure | Year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| US digital billboards | 1,928 (1,935 in 2024; 1,874 in 2023) | End of 2025 | OUTFRONT 10-K |
| US digital billboard revenue | $434.3 million ($436.9 million in 2024) | 2025 | OUTFRONT 10-K |
| Digital share of billboard revenue | About 31% (our math: $434.3 million of $1,391.4 million) | 2025 | OUTFRONT 10-K, our math |
| Digital billboards built or converted in the US | 103 (89 in 2024; 84 in 2023) | 2025 | OUTFRONT 10-K |
| Average first investment per digital billboard | About $260,000 | End of 2025 | OUTFRONT 10-K |
| Revenue and cost of a digital vs a static billboard | About 4 to 5 times the revenue; 2 to 4 times the cost | 2025 | OUTFRONT 10-K |
Clear Channel Outdoor
| Statistic | Figure | Year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| US digital billboards (America segment) | 2,001 | End of 2025 | Clear Channel Outdoor 10-K |
| Digital share of America segment revenue | 37% (36% in 2024; 35% in 2023) | 2025 | Clear Channel Outdoor 10-K |
| Digital share of company inventory and revenue | 8% of inventory; 44% of revenue | 2025 | Clear Channel Outdoor 10-K |
| New large-format digital billboards added in the US | 71 | 2025 | Clear Channel Outdoor 10-K |
| Airport digital displays | 2,583, making 64% of airport revenue | 2025 | Clear Channel Outdoor 10-K |
The pattern is the same at all three. A small share of boards earns a large share of the money. Lamar's 5,500 digital boards are about 3.5% of its 159,300 billboard displays. They made about 33% of billboard revenue, by our math from its 10-K. Clear Channel Outdoor's digital assets are 8% of its inventory and 44% of its revenue.
Digital is still a small part of each fleet. By our math, it is about 5% of OUTFRONT's 38,240 US billboard displays. Clear Channel has 34,395 US billboards. Of those, 32,394 are printed and 2,001 are digital, or about 5.8%. OUTFRONT's digital count slipped from 1,935 to 1,928 in 2025. That was despite 103 built or converted. Its 10-K says the count also moves with acquisitions, sales, management deals and lost billboards.
Digital also takes steady spending. Lamar put half of its 2025 capital budget into digital. OUTFRONT says digital displays earn four to five times what a static one does. It also says they cost two to four times as much to run.
How are digital billboards sold: loops and slots?
A digital face plays a loop. Each advertiser holds a spot in it. The OAAA says six to eight advertisers usually share one location. Lamar says each ad rotates about every 6 to 8 seconds.
| Statistic | Figure | Year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Advertisers sharing one digital location | Six to eight | Page published 2022 | OAAA |
| How often ads change | Often every six to eight seconds (state minimums we read: 5 to 10) | Page published 2022 | OAAA |
| How often Lamar's ads rotate | About every 6 to 8 seconds | 2025 | Lamar 10-K |
| Implied loop length | 36 to 64 seconds (our math: 6 slots x 6 seconds to 8 slots x 8 seconds) | Our math | OAAA, our math |
| Contract length for a digital location | One week to several weeks | Page published 2022 | OAAA |
| How often the message can change | Weekly, daily or hourly | Page published 2022 | OAAA |
| Hold time in FHWA guidance | 4 to 10 seconds; 8 recommended | 2007 | FHWA |
| Change time in FHWA guidance | 1 to 4 seconds; 1 to 2 recommended | 2007 | FHWA |
| Most common Lamar bulletin size | 14' x 48' (672 sq ft) | 2025 | Lamar 10-K |
| Lamar digital screen sizes | 10'6" x 36' (378 sq ft); 10' x 21' (210 sq ft) | 2025 | Lamar 10-K |
The OAAA page was published in 2022. Lamar's 10-K gives the same hold time for 2025, so the figure still holds. Try the digital loop calculator to see how loop length sets how many plays each slot gets.
A shorter loop means more plays per slot. A longer loop means fewer. FHWA's 8 seconds is guidance. A state rule can set a floor.
How long must each ad stay up? State rules
Each state sets its own minimum hold time. We read the official rule text for eight states. The hold time is how long a message must stay still before it changes.
| State | Minimum hold | Change time and other limits | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ohio | 8 seconds | Change in 3 seconds or less; 1,000 feet from another multiple message face in the same direction | Ohio Admin. Code 5501:2-2-02 |
| New York | 8 seconds | Change instantly; 2,500 feet apart on controlled-access highways | NYSDOT CEVMS criteria |
| New York brightness | Not a hold rule | 5,000 cd/m2 by day; 280 cd/m2 at night | NYSDOT CEVMS criteria |
| Tennessee | 8 seconds | Change in 2 seconds or less; 2,000 feet apart on controlled-access roads | TDOT Rule 1680-06-03-.03 |
| Tennessee brightness | Not a hold rule | No more than 0.3 foot-candles over ambient light, measured at 150 feet for faces of 300 sq ft or less | TDOT Rule 1680-06-03 |
| Texas | 8 seconds | Change in 2 seconds, whole face at once; sign must freeze if it fails and dim to match daylight | 43 Tex. Admin. Code 21.196 |
| North Carolina | 8 seconds | Change in 2 seconds or less; 1,000 feet from another on the same side | 19A NCAC 02E .0203 |
| Florida | 6 seconds | Change in 2 seconds or less, or at once if digital | Fla. Admin. Code 14-10.004 |
| Pennsylvania | 5 seconds | Change in 1 second or less | PennDOT PUB 581 |
| Illinois | 10 seconds | Change in 3 seconds or less; the sign must freeze if it fails | 92 Ill. Adm. Code 522 |
| Range across these eight states | 5 to 10 seconds | Our math | The rules above |
Eight seconds is the most common floor. That matches the figure FHWA recommends. Texas, North Carolina and Tennessee also cap the change at 2 seconds. New York wants an instant change. Pennsylvania's 5 seconds is the shortest of the eight. Illinois's 10 is the longest.
A short hold lets an operator fit more ads into a loop. A long one cuts the number of slots. So a state rule changes how many advertisers one face can sell to. Check your own state before you set a loop. Our state permit guides show the agency for each state.
New York can lengthen its hold time if crashes rise near a sign. Several states also require a freeze on failure. Many ban video, animation and scrolling.
This is a summary, not legal advice. Check with the agency before you build or sign.
What do digital billboards cost, use and last?
A screen costs more than a static face, and it uses power. These numbers come from the same sources as above, plus a few more.
| Statistic | Figure | Year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average first investment per digital billboard | About $260,000 | End of 2025 | OUTFRONT 10-K |
| Screen price in one worked build | $250,000 of a $351,000 total | 2026 | Billboard Insider |
| Power used by a 14' x 48' board | 24,000 to 28,000 kWh a year | 2022 | Billboard Insider on Daktronics |
| Average US business power price | 14.53 cents per kWh | July 2026 | EIA |
| Yearly power cost of a 14' x 48' board | About $3,490 to $4,070 (our math) | 2026 | Daktronics and EIA, our math |
| How long a screen lasts, per one operator | 10 to 12 years | 2025 | Billboard Insider |
| Value kept by a digital face in year 13 | 25% of its cost | 2026 | NC Department of Revenue |
Screens wear out faster than steel. North Carolina's guide shows a digital face keeping 25% of its cost by year 13. A steel structure of the same age keeps 74%. See digital billboard cost and cost to build a billboard for the full line items.
Example: how the hold time changes plays per slot
Here is a simple example. Say a face has 8 slots and runs all day. The table shows how a state's hold time sets the loop. The math is ours. It uses 86,400 seconds in a day.
| State hold | Loop of 8 slots | Plays per slot per day | Share of voice per slot |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pennsylvania, 5 seconds | 40 seconds | 2,160 | 12.5% |
| Florida, 6 seconds | 48 seconds | 1,800 | 12.5% |
| Ohio and others, 8 seconds | 64 seconds | 1,350 | 12.5% |
| Illinois, 10 seconds | 80 seconds | 1,080 | 12.5% |
The share of voice stays at one-eighth in every state. The plays do not. An advertiser in Pennsylvania gets twice the plays of one in Illinois on the same face. Each ad is also on screen for half as long. The digital loop calculator runs this math for any loop.
What do these numbers mean for billboard operators?
Four points stand out.
- Digital is where growth is. It grew 10.5% in 2025 and 18.5% in the second quarter of 2026. All billboards together grew 2.3% in 2025.
- A few boards carry the money. At Lamar, about 3.5% of displays make about 33% of billboard revenue. A good digital site can change a small plant.
- Rules set the loop. A 5-second state and a 10-second state fit different numbers of ads on the same face.
- The permit comes first. A screen on a nonconforming sign is a "substantial change" in federal guidance. OUTFRONT says about 75% of its US structures are legal nonconforming.
For static boards and the wider industry, see billboard advertising statistics. To weigh the two formats for one face, see static vs digital billboards.
How we gathered these numbers
We read each source on October 12, 2026. We used primary sources wherever we could: OAAA reports, company filings, FHWA and state rule text. Every row links to its source.
- Counts differ by source. OAAA counts by format for the whole industry. Companies count their own boards. Lamar's count includes Canada.
- Lamar gives two counts. Its 10-K says about 5,500. Its earnings call says 5,553 operating units.
- Rules change. State rules can change at any time. We link the text we read on the date above.
- Some OAAA pages are older. The OAAA digital page was published in 2022. We note where a figure comes from it.
- Our math is marked. Where we add, divide or round, the row says so.
We did not list California and Georgia hold times. We could not reach their official rule text on the day we checked. We plan to update this page when OAAA publishes new quarterly data.
Questions people ask
How many digital billboards are in the US?
About 25,000 at the end of 2025, per OAAA's April 2026 report. Lamar, OUTFRONT and Clear Channel Outdoor reported about 9,400 between them.
What share of out of home revenue is digital?
36.3% in 2025, up 10.5% year over year, per OAAA. In the second quarter of 2026 it was 38.4%, up 18.5%.
How many ads run on a digital billboard?
OAAA says six to eight advertisers usually share one location. Lamar says each ad rotates about every 6 to 8 seconds.
How long must each ad stay up on a digital billboard?
It depends on the state. FHWA says each ad generally stays up 4 to 10 seconds, and recommends 8. Ohio, New York, Tennessee, Texas and North Carolina require 8. Florida requires 6, Pennsylvania 5 and Illinois 10.
How many digital billboards does Lamar have?
About 5,500 at the end of 2025, in 43 states and Canada, per its 10-K. They made about 33% of its billboard net revenue.
How much does a digital billboard cost to build?
OUTFRONT says its average first investment per digital billboard was about $260,000 at the end of 2025. See our cost guide for the line items.
Sources
- 012025 OOH Facts & Figures: Ad Spend Performance (April 2026) · OAAA · accessed Oct 12, 2026
- 02Out of Home Advertising Revenue Reaches Record $9.46 Billion (March 17, 2026) · OAAA · accessed Oct 12, 2026
- 03OOH Hits New First Quarter High as Revenue Reaches $2.12 Billion (June 3, 2026) · OAAA · accessed Oct 12, 2026
- 04From Coca-Cola to OpenAI, Brands Are Betting Bigger on OOH (Q2 2026 revenue, August 18, 2026) · OAAA · accessed Oct 12, 2026
- 05Maximizing OOH in Today's Marketplace: 2026 Key Trends and Consumer Insights (February 2026) · OAAA · accessed Oct 12, 2026
- 06Digital Billboards (page published September 12, 2022) · OAAA · accessed Oct 12, 2026
- 07Form 10-K for fiscal year 2025 · Lamar Advertising Company (SEC filing) · accessed Oct 12, 2026
- 08Lamar (LAMR) Q4 2025 earnings call transcript (February 20, 2026) · Motley Fool via Yahoo Finance · accessed Oct 12, 2026
- 09Form 10-K for fiscal year 2025 · OUTFRONT Media (SEC filing) · accessed Oct 12, 2026
- 10Form 10-K for fiscal year 2025 · Clear Channel Outdoor Holdings (SEC filing) · accessed Oct 12, 2026
- 11Guidance on Off-Premise Changeable Message Signs (September 25, 2007) · Federal Highway Administration · accessed Oct 12, 2026
- 12Ohio Administrative Code Rule 5501:2-2-02, Advertising device standards · State of Ohio · accessed Oct 12, 2026
- 13Criteria for Regulating Off-Premises Commercial Electronic Variable Message Signs (CEVMS) in New York State · New York State Department of Transportation · accessed Oct 12, 2026
- 14Rules of the Tennessee Department of Transportation, Chapter 1680-06-03, Outdoor Advertising (eff. May 14, 2024) · Tennessee Secretary of State · accessed Oct 12, 2026
- 1543 Tex. Admin. Code 21.196, Requirements for an Electronic Sign (eff. September 1, 2024) · Cornell Legal Information Institute (copy of the Texas Administrative Code) · accessed Oct 12, 2026
- 1619A NCAC 02E, Section .0200, Outdoor Advertising · North Carolina Office of Administrative Hearings · accessed Oct 12, 2026
- 17Rule 14-10.004, Outdoor Advertising Permit Applications, Criteria, and Permit Issuance · Florida Department of State (Florida Administrative Code) · accessed Oct 12, 2026
- 18PUB 581, Highway Beautification Manual (June 2025 edition) · Pennsylvania Department of Transportation · accessed Oct 12, 2026
- 1992 Ill. Adm. Code Part 522, Control of Outdoor Advertising Adjacent to Primary and Interstate Highways · Illinois Joint Committee on Administrative Rules · accessed Oct 12, 2026
- 20Who Wants to Get Paid and When During New Billboard Construction (January 21, 2026) · Billboard Insider · accessed Oct 12, 2026
- 21Daktronics on Digital Billboards, Electrical Usage and Overcoming Climate Objections (August 1, 2022) · Billboard Insider · accessed Oct 12, 2026
- 22Reader Feedback on Digital Billboard Conversions (February 17, 2025) · Billboard Insider · accessed Oct 12, 2026
- 23Electric Power Monthly, Table 5.6.A: Average Price of Electricity to Ultimate Customers (released September 24, 2026) · U.S. Energy Information Administration · accessed Oct 12, 2026
- 242026 Billboard Structures Valuation Guide · North Carolina Department of Revenue · accessed Oct 12, 2026
Billboard operations and sales research
The Gabie team studies how billboard companies price, sell and run their boards. Every number we publish links to its source.
Published Oct 12, 2026 · Updated Oct 12, 2026 · How we check facts