Key takeaways
- Screen advertising is priced three main ways: CPM (per thousand estimated views), share of voice (a slice of the loop), and pay-per-display (per individual play).
- The models differ most in what you're actually charged for — estimated audience, reserved time, or delivered plays.
- CPM depends heavily on how audience numbers are estimated; share of voice depends on the loop being honest; pay-per-display depends on plays being verified.
- Whichever model you buy, the question that matters is the same: what happens to your money when a play doesn't happen?
Why the pricing model matters more than the rate
Two screens can both cost "£50" and be completely different purchases — one charges £50 per thousand estimated viewers, the other £50 for a week of loop share. Until you know what the number is attached to, you can't compare screens, and you can't know what you're owed when something doesn't run. Here are the three models you'll actually encounter.
CPM — cost per thousand impressions
Borrowed from digital advertising: you pay a rate per thousand "impressions". In DOOH, an impression usually means an estimated opportunity to see — modelled from footfall data, traffic counts or mobile-location panels, not a person actually looking at your ad.
- Good for: comparing DOOH against other media on a common metric; large multi-screen campaigns.
- Watch for: how impressions are estimated — multipliers vary wildly between vendors, and you're billed on the model, not on delivery you can check.
Share of voice — buying a slice of the loop
Screens play content in a repeating loop (often a few minutes long). Share of voice (SoV) sells you a fraction of it — "one in eight slots" — usually as a fixed fee per screen per week or month. It's the digital descendant of renting a poster site.
- Good for: guaranteed constant presence on a specific screen; brand campaigns that value frequency.
- Watch for: you pay whether or not the venue is busy — 3am plays cost the same as lunchtime ones — and if the screen is off, recovering value depends on the contract.
Pay-per-display — paying per individual play
The newest model, and the one Admitt uses: every screen has a price per single play of your ad, you set a daily budget, and you're charged per play delivered. On Admitt the price is fixed and shown on the screen map before you book, longer creatives cost proportionally more, and — the important part — a play is only billable once independent verification confirms it appeared. Unverified plays are credited back automatically.
- Good for: small and mid-size budgets, precise cost control, and anyone who wants billing tied to delivery rather than estimates.
- Watch for: per-play pricing makes total reach depend on your budget — presence isn't "constant" unless you fund it. Use the daily budget to set the pace you want.
The comparison that cuts through
Ask each vendor the same question: "If my ad doesn't play, what do I pay?" CPM answers with a modelled estimate, SoV answers with a contract clause, and verified pay-per-display answers with "nothing — the spend comes back as credit". That single answer tells you more than any rate card.
Which model should a local business choose?
If you're spending under a few thousand pounds and want to know exactly what you got, pay-per-display is the natural fit — it's why we built Admitt around it, with campaigns from £8/day. If you're planning a national brand campaign through an agency, CPM and SoV deals still have their place. For the full picture of what you'd actually spend, see how much digital screen advertising costs.