When it comes to media planning, geography matters. While the principles of audience targeting, campaign measurement, and cross-channel integration remain broadly similar across the globe, the nuts and bolts of planning and buying media can vary dramatically from one market to the next. This is especially true when comparing two of the largest and most mature advertising landscapes in the world: the United Kingdom and the United States.
For brands running campaigns in both markets, understanding these differences isn’t just a technical exercise – it’s critical for getting the most from your media budget, ensuring compliance, and achieving meaningful results.
Here’s a breakdown of the key differences you need to know when planning media in the UK vs the US.
Media Market Structure
UK: The UK media landscape is far more centralised. There are a small number of dominant players across most major channels. For example:
OOH is largely controlled by three major owners: Global, JCDecaux, and Clear Channel.
TV is dominated by a few broadcasters: ITV, Channel 4, Sky, and Channel 5.
Radio is primarily split between Global and Bauer Media.
This consolidation makes it easier (and often faster) to plan national campaigns, as you’re dealing with fewer media owners.
US: In contrast, the US market is highly fragmented. You have national, regional, and local vendors operating independently, and in some cases, media ownership can vary from state to state. This means:
More stakeholders to manage.
Greater complexity in pricing and availability.
Often, more time-consuming negotiations, especially for multi-state or regional campaigns.
While this can mean more work, it also offers more flexibility in customising campaigns by geography.
Geographic Targeting & Media Zones
UK: The UK media market is typically segmented by TV regions (e.g., ITV Meridian, ITV Granada) and OOH formats based on urban vs rural coverage. With Route data for OOH and BARB for TV, planners can easily identify where the target audience is located.
US: The US uses Designated Market Areas (DMAs) – 210 in total – which define where local TV and radio operate. Each DMA is treated almost like a separate mini-market, meaning media planning has to account for significant regional variation.
OOH in the US is bought differently too: you might need to buy from multiple owners within the same city, depending on format and location.
"Media isn't just about reach. It's about relevance in the right place, at the right time, with the right local insight".
Out-of-Home (OOH)
UK: OOH is cleanly organised and widely digitised. Media owners such as JCDecaux and Global provide national networks of digital screens, with transparent inventory lists and Route data for audience measurement.
US: OOH is much more decentralised. Major players like OUTFRONT, Lamar, and Clear Channel Outdoor operate in different regions. Inventory may not always be digitised, and audience data often comes from Geopath, the US equivalent of Route.
In practice, this means:
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Planning OOH in the UK can be done through fewer conversations.
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In the US, you’re often stitching together availability from multiple providers to get full coverage.
TV & Connected TV (CTV)
UK: Traditional TV buying is relatively streamlined, thanks to centralised buying points like Sky Media and ITV. Connected TV is growing via platforms like ITVX, All4, and Sky Go, and AdSmart allows postcode-level targeting.
US: CTV is huge in the States and growing rapidly. Hulu, Peacock, Roku, Tubi, Paramount+, and many others offer addressable options. However, the fragmentation is even more pronounced than with OOH, and planners need to work across multiple DSPs and networks.
Measurement and attribution are also more complex, with Nielsen, Comscore, and MRC-accredited vendors offering differing metrics.
Radio & Audio
UK: Dominated by Global (Capital, Heart, LBC) and Bauer (Kiss, Absolute, Magic), radio is relatively easy to buy into, both nationally and regionally. Digital Audio is growing via DAX (owned by Global) and Spotify.
US: Audio is much more fragmented, with national networks (e.g., iHeartMedia, Audacy) and countless local stations. Podcast advertising is more mature, with more brands using dynamic ad insertion and programmatic buys.
US audio buyers typically use a mix of direct network buys and programmatic platforms.
Press & Print
UK: Although print readership is declining, newspapers like The Times, Guardian, and Metro still command significant ad spend. Planning and buying is often done directly or via a handful of centralised networks.
US: The newspaper and magazine market is vast but fragmented. Gannett (publisher of USA Today and many local titles) is one of the few scaled players. Buying into regional press often requires working with multiple vendors or intermediaries.
Final Thoughts
Planning media in the UK and the US requires not just channel knowledge, but an understanding of the structural, regulatory, and cultural nuances that shape each market.
In the UK, media planning is often quicker, more centralised, and easier to execute nationally. In the US, it’s more layered and more flexible, offering vast targeting potential but requiring more coordination.
If you’re running campaigns in both, the right media partner can save you time, budget, and a lot of back-and-forth. At The Media Planning and Buying Agency, we plan globally and buy locally – taking care of the detail, so your message gets the attention it deserves.
