The fast-food giant is entering the commerce media market, leveraging its global customer base, loyalty data and digital infrastructure to create a new revenue stream beyond its restaurants.
McDonald’s is expanding into the advertising business, unveiling plans to build a $1 billion media network that will allow other brands to reach customers through its digital platforms and restaurants. Announced at its investor day on 23 September, the move forms part of the fast-food giant’s broader strategy to generate new revenue from its customer relationships, loyalty programmes and global digital infrastructure.
The new McDonald’s Media Network has been piloted across 450 company-owned US restaurants since August, offering advertising opportunities through the McDonald’s app, self-service kiosks, digital menu boards and in-store placements. The company sees an opportunity to extend the network to franchised locations, although it has yet to disclose a timeline for broader expansion.
The initiative draws on McDonald’s considerable global reach. The company serves more than 70 million customers daily and has nearly 220 million active loyalty members across 70 markets. Its digital infrastructure spans more than 46,000 restaurants, providing a substantial platform for advertisers seeking to reach consumers at different stages of the purchasing journey.
According to Adweek’s reporting, McDonald’s Global Chief Marketing Officer Morgan Flatley outlined the company’s ambition to develop the network into a billion-dollar business over time. The opportunity comes as US commerce media spending is projected to reach $84 billion in 2026, according to Emarketer, with McDonald’s joining companies including Amazon, Walmart and Uber in monetising their customer data and owned digital platforms.
The move also forms part of McDonald’s broader marketing transformation, which includes fewer, larger global campaigns, more personalised customer engagement and deeper integration of its loyalty and digital platforms. The company is seeking to reduce its reliance on short-term promotions while using its brand, customer insights and global scale to generate additional commercial value.
In Asia, McDonald’s has been developing its digital marketing capabilities across 12 markets, spanning loyalty, customer relationship management, delivery, personalisation and data analytics. While the advertising network remains a US pilot, the company is also developing a unified global mobile platform, drawing on innovations from digitally advanced markets such as China, with plans to scale the technology internationally by the end of 2028.