Global Agrees to Buy Alight Media to Expand UK Out-of-Home Network

Global announced on November 9 that it had agreed to acquire Alight Media. The deal would extend the UK media and entertainment group’s out-of-home (OOH) advertising network and give advertisers more locations to book through its digital platforms. Global did not disclose the purchase price.

Alight operates more than 1,500 billboard and poster displays across the UK, including large digital billboards and smaller posters in both digital and printed formats. It also operates more than 4,000 digital screens in leisure and hospitality venues. The portfolio would add locations and formats to Global’s existing roadside, transport and city-centre network, which includes the rail advertising contract for Transport for London.

Global entered the OOH market in 2018 through acquisitions that included Primesight, Outdoor Plus and Exterion Media. Alight launched the following year. It was co-founded by Dave Huckerby and Matthew Dearden, a former president of Clear Channel Europe. Dearden, now Alight’s chief executive, said Global’s planning and booking tools would help the company expand what it offers advertisers.

Global plans to combine Alight’s network with its planning and measurement tools and its digital advertising exchange, DAX, which supports automated ad buying. The group also aims to reach smaller businesses through AdPower, the self-service platform it launched in June. AdPower lets businesses book outdoor and audio campaigns online, upload or create ads, and track campaign delivery.

The deal comes as digital formats account for most UK OOH revenue. Industry body Outsmart reported that UK OOH revenue rose 13.7% year on year in the first half of 2026, while digital OOH revenue rose 15.9%. Digital formats accounted for 68% of total UK OOH revenue in the second quarter. The World Out of Home Organization also identified digital formats as the main driver of global growth in its 2026 expenditure report.

For agencies, the wider network could make it easier to plan campaigns across transport, roadside and hospitality locations through a single media owner. Global said the acquisition would also help OOH compete for budgets that advertisers allocate to platforms such as Google and Meta.

Global expects the acquisition to close in the first quarter of 2027, subject to regulatory approvals. The two companies will continue to operate independently until the deal closes.