McDonald’s revealed plans to establish a dedicated media network as part of its investor day presentation, marking an expansion into the advertising business. The quick-service restaurant chain began piloting the initiative in August, when approximately 450 company-owned U.S. locations started displaying third-party advertisements on their digital drive-thru order boards. The program has not yet expanded to franchisees operating the majority of McDonald’s roughly 14,000 U.S. locations.
Company executives expressed confidence in the venture’s potential, with Morgan Flatley, global chief marketing officer and executive vice president of new business ventures, citing the rapidly growing commerce media sector. The executive noted that commerce media is anticipated to exceed $100 billion in the U.S. alone by 2028, and suggested McDonald’s could eventually generate $1 billion in annual revenue from this business segment. Flatley characterized the opportunity as capable of producing revenue with minimal additional operational costs and without disrupting the customer experience.
The advertising network could provide McDonald’s with high-margin revenue streams at a time when the company faces rising input costs, particularly for beef, and plans substantial investments in restaurant infrastructure improvements over the coming decade. While the restaurant industry has not seen comparable media network ventures, CFO Ian Borden argued that McDonald’s possesses distinct advantages, including brand strength, extensive market reach serving approximately 85 percent of the U.S. population annually, and nationwide location density.
The strategy mirrors successful approaches employed by retail competitors. Amazon generated $68.6 billion in advertising service revenue in 2025, representing nearly 10 percent of total company revenue, with advertisements distributed across its e-commerce platform, streaming services, and third-party channels. Walmart’s advertising unit, known as Connect, reported 43 percent sales growth during its fiscal second quarter, with advertisements appearing across its digital and physical retail environments, as well as external platforms. Walmart also acquired television manufacturer Vizio in late 2024 partly to capitalize on advertising opportunities.
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