News in brief: OOH Revenue Grows 7.7%; Apple and Google Restore TikTok to US App Stores; UK Gov Partners with Anthropic AI 

OOH Revenue Grows 7.7%

Out of home (OOH) revenue for 2024 saw growth of 7.7% year-on-year, achieving its highest ever total revenue at £1.4bn. According to Outsmart, the trade body for OOH advertising, digital OOH grew 10.2%, having 66% of the channel’s total share; classic OOH was up 3%. Yet, revenue for Q4 2024 was impacted by some uncertainty and a dip in business and consumer confidence surrounding the October budget, according to the trade body’s report. It notes a year-on-year 2.2% decline in overall Q4 revenues, with total revenues of £387.3m.

Apple and Google Restore TikTok to US App Stores 

Apple and Google have brought TikTok back to their app stores in the US, following a letter from the US Attorney General Pam Bondi, assuring that the ban wouldn’t immediately be enforced. Last month, on his first day back as President, Trump signed an executive order which ordered that TikTok should be granted an extra 75 days to comply with the divest-or-ban law. Despite the app having continued to work in the US for those who already had it downloaded, Apple and Google had removed it from their app stores to avoid the possibility of being fined for keeping it available for download while it was technically illegal to provide the app in the country. 

UK Gov Partners with Anthropic AI 

The UK Government has partnered with AI company Anthropic with the aim of enhancing people’s experiences through the application of AI. They will explore the potential of advanced AI tools in improving how UK citizens access government information and services online, among other ambitions. Their partnership will also explore opportunities to advance scientific progress through AI, and support the innovation economy.