Next stop: Relevance. So mind the advertising gap
By the end of this year the London Underground could have full 4G and 5G connectivity. This gives advertisers an opportunity, says Itai Cohen, Chief Strategy Officer at Digital Turbine, but one which requires careful thought, because having full bars does not equal having full attention.
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For decades, Londoners have shared one of the few remaining excuses for being unreachable: they were on the Tube.
That excuse is about to disappear. Transport for London is rolling out 4G and 5G connectivity across the Underground, with full coverage expected by the end of 2026. Soon, commuters will be able to scroll, stream, shop and message their way through journeys that were once largely disconnected.
Connectivity isn’t the opportunity. Relevance is.
From an advertising perspective, the scale is significant. Millions of daily journeys will become newly accessible moments of mobile attention. The average Londoner spends around 80 minutes a day commuting — largely during peak hours, largely on a packed train, largely on their phone.
But connectivity isn’t the opportunity. Relevance is. Reaching someone and giving them a reason to pay attention aren't the same — and brands that confuse the two will waste the moment. The challenge for brands isn’t simply getting underground. It’s making the journey better once they’re there.
Above: Tube journeys in London will all be mobile phone-friendly by 2027, giving advertisers an opportunity to engage.
Full bars ≠ full attention
Mobile is already central to how people spend their time. UK adults spend almost three-and-a-half-hours a day on their smartphones. Yet social media accounts for only 30–35% of that time, according to eMarketer. In a 60-minute commute, that’s roughly 40 minutes spent on something else entirely — gaming, reading, watching video, using apps. Most advertisers aren’t reaching people in any of it. The Underground’s expanding connectivity means more of the day can now be spent online. But more screen time doesn’t automatically mean more valuable advertising time.
Brands still treat mobile as a smaller screen for the same creative they run on desktop and social. That’s the wrong model — and the commute exposes exactly why.
Brands still treat mobile as a smaller screen for the same creative they run on desktop and social. That’s the wrong model — and the commute exposes exactly why. Unlike watching television while cooking dinner or scrolling social media on another screen, a Tube journey offers periods of focused attention. Commuters are immersed in a game, catching up on the news, or planning their evening — eyes on screen, not half-elsewhere.
The question for brands isn’t how to reach people at that moment, it’s what they can bring to it that’s worth the attention.
Same carriage, different baggage
Imagine two people travelling on the Northern line. One is heading to work, checking headlines and preparing mentally for the day. The other is travelling to meet friends, get something to eat and find something to do. They’re in the same physical environment, but their priorities are entirely different. And even the same commuter behaves differently at 8am on a Monday than at 7pm on a Friday.
This is why moments, rather than channels alone, should drive mobile advertising strategies. Understanding the context surrounding someone’s journey can be just as important as understanding the audience itself.
Above: Tube journeys allow for focussed attention, unlike at other times, when a screen is just one of the things a person is focussed on.
For brands, that creates opportunities to be more useful. A coffee brand might offer something relevant to a morning routine, while an entertainment provider could help commuters switch off after work.
Take Digital Turbine’s collaboration with Miniclip, which saw a global restaurant brand integrated directly into the mobile game Head Ball 2 during the FIFA World Cup 2026. Through branded characters, accessories, tournaments and rewards, the campaign became part of the gaming experience rather than interrupting it. On peak days, players used branded items in more than 125,000 matches.
Instead of interrupting someone immersed in a game with a generic ad, find creative ways to become part of the experience they're already enjoying.
For brands looking to reach commuters, the lesson is clear. Instead of interrupting someone immersed in a game with a generic ad, find creative ways to become part of the experience they're already enjoying. As more of the Tube becomes connected, these opportunities will only grow. But the quality of the creative, not the availability of the connection, will determine whether people engage.
Above: Digital Turbine’s collaboration with Miniclip for the mobile game Head Ball 2.
Don’t be the next unwanted passenger
Of course, the greater connectivity will tempt brands to treat the Underground as another opportunity to maximise impressions. But commuters don’t suddenly become receptive to every message just because their phone has signal. Brands need to consider the environment in which their creative appears. An intrusive interruption during a game could be frustrating, while a well-designed reward experience might give someone a reason to engage.
The question for creative teams should be: what can our brand bring to this moment that makes it more interesting, entertaining or useful?
That requires advertisers to think beyond repurposing desktop or social creative for a smaller screen. Mobile deserves ideas designed around how people actually use it. That means campaigns built to be brief, engaging and actionable, not repurposed from a bigger screen and hoping for the best.
And it requires a broader understanding of mobile behaviour, from app discovery and entertainment preferences to different moments when people are most receptive. The question for creative teams should be: what can our brand bring to this moment that makes it more interesting, entertaining or useful?
The real destination isn’t the underground
By 2027, the Tube’s improved connectivity could change how millions of Londoners experience their daily journeys. For advertisers, success won’t be measured by how many additional impressions they generate underground. It will be whether those moments inspire something after commuters step off the train.
Because getting someone’s attention is one thing. Becoming part of the habits they build once they get there is another.
