According to Statista, Uber has 150 million monthly users when the world reached the fourth quarter of 2023. The same goes with Lyft. It had over 24 million active riders as of the third quarter of 2024.
The demand is high, so businesses like real estate companies are advertising their services inside Uber cars. Here’s a look.
Several Uber cars across the globe have digital screens, perhaps at the back of your seats or by the headrest, promoting properties.
Though this may look uncomfortable for others who want a more private ride since these are popular in taxis and cabs, others consider this good news.
Thanks to T-Mobile’s acquisition of Vistar Media, a provider of digital screens, they have since been installed in the backs of taxis and ridesharing vehicles.
Uber was among the first that wanted in. T-Mobile Advertising Solutions forged a deal with Uber Ads, so the company can run its ads via T-Mobile’s state-of-the-art screens network within its rideshare media network.
The outcomes are fantastic, so marketers plus investors poured considerable spending into these digital ads not only for Uber but also for Lyft.
These ridesharing platforms are making the right choice since T-Mobile has previous deals with Uber and Lyft, with the latter debuting its media network with in-car ads and going on to develop its ad partnerships for the network in 2024, with audience segmentation included in the package.
Even the law went with the flow since recently, a law was passed and enacted to put an end to the ban on rideshare vehicle ads in New York City, prompting new screens to be launched inside cars. A quarter of the revenue from those ads goes to rideshare drivers, which is another good news.
The future is bright for these digital ads. Investors are open to spending billions on this type of ad, expected to materialize by 2027.
Experts in this form of advertising are saying, “The next iteration is just blurring the definition of what TV even is. Right now we think of it as the largest screen in the home, but you’re starting to see an emergence of all of these nontraditional screen environments, whether it’s [the] back of an Uber [or] the back of your own electric vehicle.”
So, figuratively speaking, your Uber car is now becoming your new real estate agent. Who knows? Your driver could be giving away real estate flyers as well. Just kidding.
“Overall, rideshare ads are a great tool for expanding reach in harder-to-cover neighborhoods, delivering hyperlocal messaging in busy urban areas, or rounding out a multichannel campaign,” experts further stated.