TTC proposal plans to have flip-book-like ads inside subway tunnels

The TTC proposed a plan to enter into a 15-year agreement with Vancouver-based Adtrackmedia to have video-motion ads inside its subway tunnels. (TransLink)

The Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) is proposing to install advertisements inside the city’s subway tunnels for the first time.

The transit agency is presenting a proposal on the plan to the TTC board Wednesday to have the ads installed by next summer through the Vancouver-based ad agency Adtrackmedia.

The ad agency will use a flip-book-like system called in-tunnel motion advertising, where vertical lights will be installed on the walls of the subway tunnel that could be viewed as a whole video from a speeding train.

The in-tunnel ad system was installed in Vancouver in 2022, and similar technology has been used in other transit systems around the world. The proposed contract between TTC and the ad agency is 15 years in length.

The proposal stated that the plan supports TTC’s plan for increasing non-fare revenue streams by diving into a new advertising medium. The TTC is currently facing a more than $30 million budget shortfall, due mostly to lower-than-expected ridership since the COVID-19 pandemic.

The TTC said the plan is to have up to six tunnel advertising systems installed by summer 2026 to “optimize advertising revenue opportunities during the FIFA World Cup” in Toronto.

The transit agency proposal stated the Adtrackmedia’s technology complies with accessibility standards and meets safety thresholds to protect riders from seizure-inducing visuals.

The TTC wrote in its proposal that currently it generates approximately $32 million annually through its agreement with Pattison Outdoor Advertising LP, employing traditional and static ad formats, such as print, vehicle wraps and station dominations.

“The proposed initiative with Adtrackmedia would diversify the TTC’s non-fare advertising portfolio, attracting a new group of advertisers, reduce reliance on a single vendor, and enhance the resilience of the TTC’s commercial revenue strategy,” the motion stated.