There is no single rate for London Underground advertising. Price moves with zone, format, trading period and how long you run, and the same format at the same station costs different amounts in January and December. This guide sets out the ranges we plan against and what pushes a campaign up or down within them.
The short answer
Most campaigns land between £3,000 and £120,000 for a two-week burst. Below about £3,000 the production and posting costs start to outweigh the media, and the budget is usually better spent on a shorter station list than a thinner spread.
| Format | Indicative cost | Buying unit |
|---|---|---|
| Digital escalator panels | Indicative cost£25,000 | Buying unitper station run, per 2 weeks |
| Digital gateways | Indicative cost£12,000 to £40,000 | Buying unitper 2 weeks |
| Digital 6-sheet (D6) | Indicative cost£1,500 | Buying unitper screen, per 2 weeks |
| Digital 12-sheet (D12) | Indicative cost£3,000 | Buying unitper screen, per 2 weeks |
| Digital 48-sheet (D48) | Indicative cost£2,000 | Buying unitper panel, per 2 weeks |
| Digital ribbon | Indicative cost£35,000 | Buying unitper run, per 2 weeks |
| Tube car panels | Indicative cost£18 | Buying unitper panel, per 2 weeks |
| 16-sheet cross-track | Indicative cost£2,250 | Buying unitper panel, per 2 weeks |
| 48-sheet posters | Indicative cost£6,000 | Buying unitper panel, per 2 weeks |
| 12-sheet posters | Indicative cost£2,000 | Buying unitper panel, per 2 weeks |
| 96-sheet posters | Indicative cost£1,800 to £3,200 | Buying unitper panel, per 2 weeks |
| 6-sheet posters (paper) | Indicative cost£1,750 | Buying unitper panel, per 2 weeks |
| 4-sheet posters | Indicative cost£750 | Buying unitper panel, per 2 weeks |
| Escalator panels (static) | Indicative cost£300 | Buying unitper panel, per 2 weeks |
| Station domination | Indicative cost£40,000 to £250,000 | Buying unitper station, per 2 weeks |
Planning guidance, excluding VAT. Poster rates include print and production where stated. Confirmed with the media owner at booking.
What moves the price
- Zone
- Zone 1 carries a premium over zones 3 and beyond for the same format, driven by footfall and audience profile.
- Trading period
- January and August are the softest months. The Christmas run-in and September carry the highest rates.
- Digital versus static
- Digital costs more per site but buys flexibility: day-parting, multiple executions and shorter lead times.
- Production
- Poster print and posting is a meaningful share of media cost. Digital artwork is usually a fixed studio fee.
- Duration
- Two weeks is the standard burst. Four and six week bookings usually attract a volume discount.
- Lead time
- Booking six to eight weeks out protects both price and site quality. Late bookings pay for what is left.
What is not in the price
Poster rates on this site include print and production where the format page says so. Where they do not, three things are quoted separately.
- Production — poster print and posting is a meaningful share of a paper campaign. Digital artwork is usually a fixed studio fee.
- Artwork origination, if we are producing rather than adapting supplied assets.
- VAT.
Getting better value
- Book six to eight weeks out. Late buys pay for what is left.
- Consider January and August. They are the softest months and usually the best value.
- Run longer. Four and six-week bookings normally attract a volume discount over the two-week rate.
- Concentrate. One station done properly beats three done thinly, on almost any budget.
None of the figures on this site are quotes. They are the ranges we plan against, and a real number comes back with a site list once we have the brief.
Sources and references
- Media owner rate cards — Every price on this site is indicative planning guidance pending verification against current rate cards.
- Transport for London — network and station data — Station counts, line data and fare zones. Specific datasets to be cited before launch.
