Digital screens have become a fixed part of public space. At the station, in the shopping centre, in the pedestrian zone: digital out of home is everywhere and growing fast. But the screen with the highest attention is not on the platform, it's in the living room. For advertising, that raises the question: the screen in public space or the big screen at home?
Digital out of home is booming
The figures are impressive. According to Nielsen, digital out of home in Germany reached gross advertising revenue of around 1.4 billion euros in 2024, up 19 percent on the previous year, and thus accounts for 43 percent of total out-of-home revenue. Out-of-home advertising as a whole exceeded the mark of ten percent share of the classic advertising market for the first time. With around 145,000 digital advertising displays across the country, DOOH has become a fixed part of media planning, increasingly bookable programmatically too.
That is a strong development, and DOOH has good reasons for it. Still, it's worth a close look at what the channel can do and where its limit lies.
Reach people, not just places!
Book a demoThe strength of DOOH, and its limit
DOOH scores with high reach in public space. The large screens stand out, can't be clicked away or hidden with an ad blocker, and they run in a brand-safe environment. Via programmatic, delivery can now be steered flexibly by location, time of day or even weather. For awareness and broad presence, it's an effective medium.
The catch lies in the nature of the channel. DOOH is a one-to-many medium: you reach everyone who passes a screen, not specifically the people who are relevant to you. And the contact is fleeting. Whoever hurries through the station or waits at the traffic light sees your creative in passing, on the side, for a brief moment. Even programmatic DOOH steers by location and context, that is by the typical audience of a location, not by the individual people.
The most attentive screen is at home
It's quite different on the big screen in the living room. There you don't watch in passing, you lean back and engage with the picture. The advertising runs large, in the foreground and in a calm, attentive situation. Why this posture is so valuable is shown in the article on the lean-back effect, and how high attention is on the big screen, the article on attention on the big screen. On connected TV your advertising is non-skippable too, but it reaches people in a moment when they are really watching.
Why you target more precisely on CTV
The biggest difference lies in targeting. DOOH steers by location, time of day and weather, that is by the environment. Connected TV steers by the people themselves: by region and postal code, age, gender and interests. So you don't simply reach everyone who passes a place, but exactly the audience you want to reach, with the precision you know from online marketing. How regional targeting in streaming works is shown in the article on regional targeting.
A broad contact in passing thus becomes a targeted contact with full attention. The one doesn't rule out the other, but when precision and impact matter, the big screen at home plays out its strength.
Where onescreen comes in
This is exactly where onescreen comes in. You bring your brand to the big screen in the living room, on around 40 streaming services and the major channels, with high attention and targeted digital targeting. You start with a manageable budget, without a minimum term, and see in the daily dashboard how your campaign is doing. What connected TV as a channel is about is explained in the overview What is CTV advertising.
Conclusion
Digital out of home is strong for broad reach and presence in public space. But it reaches people in passing and by environment, not specifically and not in their most attentive moment. On connected TV you get both: the big screen with full attention and a targeting that hits exactly your audience. Whoever wants to reach not just the place but the right people chooses the big screen at home.
Want to reach exactly the people who matter to you, with full attention? Book a demo and we'll show you the options in 30 minutes. Or get started in the Ad Manager.
FAQ
What is the difference between DOOH and CTV advertising? Digital out of home runs on screens in public space and, as a one-to-many medium, reaches everyone who passes. Connected TV runs on the big screen at home and can be steered specifically by audience, by region, age, gender and interests.
Can I target a specific audience with DOOH? Only to a limited extent. Even programmatic DOOH steers by location, time of day and weather, that is by the environment and the typical audience of a location. On connected TV, by contrast, you steer by the people themselves.
Why is attention higher on CTV? Because people at home sit in front of the big screen, lean back and watch, instead of glancing briefly at a screen in public space in passing. The advertising runs large, in the foreground and non-skippable.
Do DOOH and CTV rule each other out? No. DOOH can provide broad reach, CTV targeted engagement with high attention. But when precision and impact matter, the big screen at home has the advantage.