QMS Lights Up Digital OOH Network in Auckland's New City Rail Link
2026-09-14 · via DailyDOOH
QMS NZ has switched on a digital out-of-home network inside Auckland's new City Rail Link (CRL), timed to coincide with the rail line going live. Six foundation advertisers, including 2degrees, BNZ, Spark, The Warehouse Group, ANZ and Tower, are already running on the network, according to the company.
For anyone running transit media or evaluating new venue types, this is a case study in how an operator moves fast to monetize a major piece of public infrastructure the moment it opens. QMS says demand from advertisers to be part of the launch was "unprecedented," though the release does not disclose screen counts, specs, or pricing for the CRL installations specifically.
The network covers three new underground stations: Te Waihorotiu, Karanga-a-Hape, and Maungawhau. QMS describes the screens as "100% digital," full-motion, and "3DOOH enabled," a term the industry increasingly uses for content designed to create a glasses-free 3D or anamorphic illusion on flat digital panels. The announcement does not specify display type, resolution, screen sizes, or the number of units installed at each station.
Part of a bigger transit push
QMS frames the CRL screens as one piece of a larger Auckland Transport partnership that already includes what the company says is more than 2,000 street furniture panels, 4,000 mass transit formats, and 280-plus billboards across New Zealand. The pitch to advertisers, per QMS Managing Director Ben Gibb, is a "continuous audience ecosystem" that follows commuters from home through transit and into the CBD, letting a brand buy into the CRL launch and then extend the same campaign across the wider network.
Auckland Transport's Head of Out of Home Media and Partnerships, Simon Soulsby, characterized the deal as improving the passenger experience through media placement, tying the commercial rollout to the CRL's broader $5.5 billion infrastructure story: a project QMS says doubles rail capacity and puts twice as many Aucklanders within a 30-minute commute of the city centre.
What's missing
The announcement is heavy on ambition and light on hardware detail. There's no mention of the display manufacturer, the content management platform driving the network, measurement or audience verification methodology, or how programmatic buying might work across the combined CRL and street furniture inventory. For an industry watching how transit authorities and OOH operators split ad revenue on newly built public infrastructure, those commercial and technical details would be the more useful follow-up story. Operators elsewhere weighing transit digital deployments will want to see how QMS eventually reports performance data from these three stations before treating this as a proven model.
The announcement in full
Reproduced from DailyDOOH for reference. Digital Signage Magazine did not write the text below.
QMS NZ and Auckland Transport Unveil City Rail Link
Coinciding with the City Rail Network going live, leading Out of Home media company QMS NZ has officially turned on its highly anticipated City Rail Link (CRL) network with a fully subscribed roster of foundation partners that includes 2degrees, BNZ, Spark, The Warehouse Group, ANZ and Tower.
QMS NZ Managing Director, Ben Gibb , told us “The CRL represents a once in a generation shift for Auckland’s urban landscape. Demand to be part of this launch has been unprecedented, and we are thrilled to offer our foundation partners an exclusive, digital first environment inside Aotearoa’s most modern transport infrastructure. This isn’t just about new screens. It’s about establishing a continuous, day-in-day-out audience solution. With surface hoardings coming down, foot traffic returning to Queen Street and midtown corridors, and CBD economic activity surging, the CRL provides brands with an unbeatable environment to engage high-value commuters at critical decision making moments. Securing the heart of Auckland’s transit network via the CRL allows brands to build their foundation in New Zealand’s primary economic hub. From there, QMS empowers advertisers to seamlessly extend that exact audience journey across our broader network – spanning over 2,000 street furniture panels in Auckland, 4,000 mass transit formats, and 280+ high-impact billboards across Aotearoa.”
QMS’ new City Rail Link digital OOH network, unlocks a unified, continuous audience ecosystem across the most critical transit veins in Tāmaki Makaurau as part of its long-term Auckland Transport (AT) partnership.
The launch follows the completion of New Zealand’s largest infrastructure project in history – a $5.5 billion transformation that doubles the potential capacity of the rail network and brings twice as many Aucklanders within a 30-minute commute to the city centre. The CRL defines the next chapter for the Auckland CBD, connecting access to key commercial hubs, entertainment, and retail precincts.
Integrated seamlessly with QMS’ existing street furniture, large format billboard and transit networks, the new CRL network allows advertisers to command attention across the total Out of Home audience journey. From the moment commuters leave their homes, throughout their daily travel, and directly into the heart of where they work, play and spend, QMS NZ now delivers a continuous audience ecosystem across Tāmaki Makaurau.
Auckland Transport Head of Out of Home Media and Partnerships, Simon Soulsby , said: “The CRL will transform how people move through Tāmaki Makaurau, and through our ongoing partnership with QMS, we are excited to deliver a modern transit environment that enhances the passenger experience through high quality media placements.”
The QMS CRL network spans three new underground stations architecturally designed to honour Māori culture and heritage, weaving cultural storytelling into the physical commuter experience:
Te Waihorotiu Station: Set to become one Aotearoa’s busiest stations, featuring dual entrances on Victoria and Wellesley Streets serving both corporate workers and evening entertainment crowds.
Karanga-a-Hape Station: Reaching 33 metres underground, this vibrant hub serves daytime creatives and nightlife goers via Mercury Lane and Beresford Square.
Maungawhau Station : A high-growth junction connecting the CRL and Western Lines, serving daily suburban commuters and the growing Uptown neighbourhood with its mix of businesses and venues.
All three environments feature state-of-the-art, 100% digital assets that are full-motion and #3DOOH enabled, offering brands a connected canvas for immersive storytelling at scale.
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