""If you want to buy billboard space, you have to wait six to nine months," Lalji said, adding it was even worse when he tried to secure prime space around Y Combinator's outpost in the Dogpatch or Jackson Square, the home of many startups. "It's already been completely sold for all of 2026, and there's no clear date as to when I could ever have those billboards.""
"Low-tech billboards for high-tech companies along Interstate 280 and 101 have long been part of the Bay Area landscape, but their popularity has soared this year as the AI boom has increased the number of well-funded companies needing to stand out. There is also a shift in marketing, as enterprise startups adapt a consumer marketing playbook. And, San Francisco has roared back to life with apartments, office space, and yes, billboards, in high demand."
"As little as two years ago, billboard companies frequently called Messick, offering steep discounts for unsold inventory, known as remnant rates. Now the leverage has shifted. In the rare case space opens, Messick says he gets a call to pay top dollar and has to make a decision in less than 24 hours, or a competitor will snap up the deal. That has led to hoarding."
San Francisco billboard inventory is extremely limited, with buyers often facing six-to-nine-month waits and prime locations already reserved through 2026. The AI funding boom has driven a surge in demand as well-funded companies seek visibility and adopt consumer-style marketing. Major events and competitive timing force quick decisions, often within 24 hours, or companies lose the space, which has encouraged long-term reservations and hoarding. Sellers now command top dollar and remnant discounts have disappeared. The city's economic comeback with more apartments and offices has further intensified competition for outdoor advertising.
Read at Business Insider
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