Barcelona street furniture advertising will be managed by a new company from February, despite a legal challenge from the current contractor.

The city council has voted to proceed with awarding the lucrative 10-year contract to French multinational JCDecaux, rejecting a request from Clear Channel to suspend the process while its appeal is considered.

Barcelona Street Furniture Deal Advances After Council Vote

An extraordinary Economy Commission meeting on Wednesday saw the municipal government, Junts, BComú and ERC vote to dismiss the suspension request.

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Consequently, PP and Vox abstained from the vote. Deputy Mayor for Economy Jordi Valls explained this decision prevents paralysing the award, facilitates the new contract, avoids service disruption and prevents financial losses for the council.

The core of Clear Channel’s challenge will be addressed in the next Economy and Finance Commission meeting in January. Meanwhile, the transition to the new contractor can continue. The current concession, held by Clear Channel since 2016, is therefore set to change hands.

Furthermore, the council had convened two separate tenders for managing public space advertising. One focused on news kiosks, which Clear Channel won, and another for street furniture, which JCDecaux secured. Both contracts span 10 years, with possible four-year extensions.

This arrangement means the two companies will split the substantial public space advertising revenue, which now totals €28 million annually. This figure effectively doubles the previous amount. The French multinational will manage 4,600 street furniture elements, 2,058 of which can carry advertising.

Major Investment in Digital Infrastructure Planned

JCDecaux’s responsibilities include 1,400 bus shelters and nearly 500 urban advertising panels, equivalent to 3,000 analogue advertising faces. The company will pay an annual fee of €24 million, significantly above the €13.5 million minimum required in the tender documents.

Additionally, the contractor must invest €11.5 million within the concession’s first three years. This investment will expand digital advertising spaces and renew information screens on bus shelters, columns for free expression, and municipal notice boards.

The planned upgrades are substantial. They include replacing 250 paper advertising faces and 30 municipal notice boards with digital versions. Moreover, 768 bus stop information panels will be renewed, with 80 new ones installed. A further 200 columns for free expression will be refurbished.

Authorities will also analyse whether these columns and shelters could support 5G telecommunications network elements. This modernisation aligns with broader city infrastructure goals, similar to recent efforts seen in the extensive road overhaul project aimed at improving safety and connectivity.

Separately, Clear Channel retained the contract for maintaining and commercially exploiting the city’s 276 press kiosks, excluding those on La Rambla. The company will continue managing 728 advertising faces on these structures, offering an annual fee of €3.7 million for their upkeep. This sum far exceeds the €2.03 million initially requested in the tender, according to the council.

The shift in managing Barcelona street furniture advertising represents a significant change in the city’s visual and commercial landscape. The increased revenue for the council and promised digital investments suggest residents and visitors can expect a more modern advertising environment in public spaces. The final resolution of Clear Channel’s appeal in January will determine if this transition proceeds without further legal interruption.

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