A straight-talking guide from Focus Media Outdoor — over 20 years in the industry
Bus advertising is one of the most popular and cost-effective forms of outdoor advertising in the UK — and one of the most searched for when it comes to pricing. The honest answer is that bus advertising costs are more affordable than most people expect, with standard formats starting at around £80 to £100 for a two-week campaign. In this guide we break down the cost of every bus advertising format — from bus rears and streetliners through to supersides, T-sides and full bus wraps — with real, all-in prices rather than vague ranges. If you’d like a specific quote for your area and requirements, visit our bus advertising page or get in touch directly.
Bus Advertising Cost — At a Glance
All prices are approximate and based on standard UK rates. Actual costs vary by supplier, location, volume and campaign duration. Contact us for an accurate quote.
Bus advertising is one of the only OOH formats where you can sometimes get more than you paid for — suppliers won’t remove your advert until they have a replacement ready, so you often get a few extra days at no extra cost.
Bus Rear / Super Rear Advertising Cost
The bus rear — also called a super rear — sits on the back of the bus and is one of the most popular and affordable bus advertising formats available. For a standard bus rear on a two-week campaign, you’re looking at approximately £80 to £100 per bus. That’s an all-in figure — no hidden extras.
Bus rears are seen by every car, cyclist and pedestrian behind the bus at every set of traffic lights, junction and bus stop. Over a two-week campaign, a single bus rear can generate tens of thousands of impressions across your target area. For the price, the reach is extraordinary.
A bus rear at £80–£100 for two weeks works out at roughly £6 per day. For that daily rate you’re reaching thousands of people across your target area — it’s hard to find better value in outdoor advertising.
Streetliner Bus Advertising Cost
A streetliner is the advertising panel on the side of a single decker bus — one of the most widely available and most booked bus advertising formats in the UK. Streetliners come in 10 foot and 13 foot sizes and are priced similarly to bus rears — approximately £80 to £100 per panel for a two-week campaign. For more detail on streetliners and other bus formats, take a look at our bus advertising Q&A.
Superside Bus Advertising Cost
A superside is the advertising panel on the side of a double decker bus — at 22 feet long it’s a significantly larger format than a streetliner and commands a slightly higher price. For a superside on a two-week campaign, you’re looking at approximately £100 to £150 per panel. Supersides are available across London and UK wide, subject to availability.
T-Side Bus Advertising Cost
The T-side is the near-side panel on a double decker bus — 22 feet long and approximately 15 feet high, it’s one of the largest and most premium bus advertising formats available. T-sides are generally sold in packs rather than individually and are priced at a premium reflecting their size and impact. Contact us directly for T-side pricing as rates vary by area and supplier.
T-sides are the wow factor of bus advertising — 22 feet long and 15 feet high, they’re impossible to miss. They’re more expensive than standard formats but the visual impact more than justifies the investment for the right campaign.
Mega Rear Bus Advertising Cost
The mega rear covers the full back of the bus — a much larger and more impactful version of the standard bus rear. Mega rears are typically booked on longer term contracts rather than two-week periods, and they represent extraordinary value when you break the cost down on a daily rate basis.
For a mega rear booked for a full year (52 weeks), you’re looking at approximately £6,000 to £7,000. That works out at roughly £16 per day for a full year of your brand being on the back of a bus, travelling through your target area every single day. For brand building and sustained local awareness, it’s one of the best value formats in outdoor advertising.
£16 a day for a full year of bus advertising. Break any campaign down to a daily rate and you quickly see what incredible value bus advertising represents — particularly on longer term bookings like mega rears.
Full Bus Wrap Advertising Cost
A full bus wrap is exactly what it sounds like — the entire bus, wrapped in vinyl promoting your business. It’s the ultimate statement in bus advertising and the most premium format available. Full wraps are typically booked for a minimum of 12 weeks up to a full year.
For a full bus wrap including production costs, you’re looking at approximately £25,000 to £40,000 for a year. The wide range reflects several factors — the complexity of the design, whether the windows are covered, the location and the supplier. Production is a significant part of the cost — wrapping an entire bus in high quality vinyl is a serious print and production job.
On a daily rate basis, a full wrap works out at between £68 and £110 per day for a year — which for the level of impact and visibility a fully wrapped bus delivers, represents genuine value for money.
A fully wrapped bus travelling through your town or city every day is one of the most impactful forms of local advertising available. It turns a bus into a moving billboard for your brand — impossible to ignore wherever it goes.
How Much Does London Bus Advertising Cost?
This is one of the most common questions we get — and the answer surprises most people. Standard bus advertising formats like bus rears and streetliners cost exactly the same in London as they do anywhere else in the UK. The rate is flat across the country, which makes London buses exceptional value given the sheer volume of people they reach every day.
The only time you pay a premium for London bus advertising is when you’re looking at Central London specific packages — Golden Routes and Routemaster packages. These are more expensive, but they more than justify the premium because the impacts are dramatically higher. When you calculate the cost per thousand people reached, Golden Route and Routemaster advertising can actually be cheaper than standard formats elsewhere in the country.
Standard bus advertising rates are the same across the whole of the UK — London included. You’re not paying a London premium for bus rears and streetliners, which makes London bus advertising exceptional value given the audience size.
What Affects Bus Advertising Costs?
While the prices above give you a solid ballpark, a few factors can affect the final cost of your bus advertising campaign:
• Volume — the more buses you book, the better the rate. Always negotiate on volume for multi-site campaigns
• Supplier — Arriva, Metroline and First Bus are the main operators, with media managed by Global. Rates can vary between suppliers
• Location — standard rates are flat nationally, but premium packages like Central London routes command higher prices
• Format — bus rears and streetliners are the most affordable; T-sides and wraps are at the premium end
• Campaign duration — longer campaigns attract better rates, particularly for mega rears and full wraps
• Design complexity — for wraps, the complexity of the design affects production costs significantlyGeneral Artwork Guidelines for All OOH Formats
Bus Advertising Cost vs Other OOH Formats
Bus advertising is one of the most affordable OOH formats available — particularly when you compare it to the reach it delivers. Here’s how it stacks up against other popular formats:
• Bus stop advertising — from £275 for two weeks all in. More location-specific, less geographic coverage than bus advertising
• Billboard advertising — from £400 for a two-week campaign. Bigger format, fixed location, roadside rather than community-based
• Train station advertising — varies significantly by station and format. Typically higher than bus advertising for comparable reach
For detailed pricing on other formats, take a look at our guide to how much billboard advertising costs or our bus stop advertising Q&A.
Is Bus Advertising Good Value?
To put the value of bus advertising in perspective — for the same budget as a single Underground advertising panel at Piccadilly Circus (which can cost up to £5,000), you could run 50 buses for a minimum two-week period across your target area. That’s the scale of the difference. Bus advertising consistently delivers one of the lowest cost-per-thousand figures of any OOH format, and the repeat exposure that comes from seeing the same bus travelling through your area day after day builds brand recognition in a way that a one-off static site simply can’t replicate. For a full overview of the benefits, take a look at our post on the benefits of outdoor advertising.
How to Get the Best Bus Advertising Rates
The best way to get competitive bus advertising rates is to work with an experienced agency like Focus Media Outdoor. We have established relationships with all the major suppliers and can access rates that aren’t available direct. We also know which depots and areas offer the best value for your target audience and can advise on the right mix of formats for your budget. For more on how to plan an effective campaign, take a look at our guide to how to plan an outdoor advertising campaign.
Get a Bus Advertising Quote Today
Get in touch with the Focus Media Outdoor team for an accurate, all-in bus advertising quote for your area. We’ll tell you exactly what’s available, what it costs and how to get the most out of your budget — no hidden extras, no rate card surprises. Contact us today for a free no-obligation quote.
