Revenue in the sector reached £329m for the six months to June 30th, with drops across both key segments of the market.

Classic OOH revenue was down 50.8% while digital OOH revenue fell 38.8%, but the latter saw its share of the market increase from 50% in H1 of 2019 to 56% this year.

The latest figures, published by Outsmart and collated by PwC, also show how the market performed in the first and second quarters.

Overall market revenue fell 3.1% in Q1, but it was in the second quarter, when the UK was mostly in a state of lockdown due to the novel coronavirus (Covid-19), where the segment was hit the hardest.

OOH revenue plummeted 83% year-on-year from £310m to £53m, allowing for digital’s share of revenue to increase from 53% to 68%.

Analysing the results, Outsmart chair Justin Cochrane says though H1, and Q2 in particular, were tough for those in the market, conditions are expected to begin to ease in Q3 as the country continues to emerge from lockdown.

He adds that early indications show July revenue is recovering versus Q2, as audiences head outdoors during the summer holiday period.

“We knew Q2 was going to be very challenging for OOH, as it has been for many sectors,” Cochrane says, adding: “More positively, there is good evidence that audiences and revenues increased throughout July as brands reconnect both locally and nationally outdoors.”

Mark Maitland, head of media and entertainment at PwC, adds: “It is no surprise that a sector focused on reaching people when they are out of their homes has been hit so hard by Covid-19.

“We expect the sector to bounce back over time, given its strong fundamentals and investment in digital, as demonstrated by high growth over recent years prior to the pandemic.”

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