Stock Markets February 2, 2026

Moody's Raises OUTFRONT Media Credit Rating to Ba3, Citing Lower Leverage and Digital Push

Agency points to shrinking leverage, high EBITDA margins and digital conversion as drivers; outlook remains stable

By Sofia Navarro
Moody's Raises OUTFRONT Media Credit Rating to Ba3, Citing Lower Leverage and Digital Push

Moody's has upgraded OUTFRONT Media Inc.'s Corporate Family Rating to Ba3 from B1, lifted its Probability of Default rating and moved a subsidiary's unsecured notes higher, while keeping secured facility ratings unchanged. The agency expects leverage to fall into the low 4x range over the next 12-18 months on strong revenue and EBITDA growth and highlighted the company's market strength in U.S. outdoor advertising. Moody's also flagged concentrated exposure to large urban markets and an economically unfavorable long-term New York MTA contract as areas of risk.

Key Points

  • Moody's upgraded OUTFRONT's Corporate Family Rating to Ba3 from B1 and raised its Probability of Default rating to Ba3-PD from B1-PD; senior unsecured notes of OUTFRONT Media Capital LLC moved to B1 from B2, while the senior secured bank facility and backed secured notes were left at Ba1 - impacting credit markets and corporate debt investors.
  • Moody's projects leverage falling to the low 4x range within 12-18 months, supported by strong revenue and EBITDA growth and a digital conversion strategy expected to expand margins - relevant to the outdoor advertising and media sectors.
  • OUTFRONT operates about 560,000 displays across 120 U.S. markets, including all top 25 markets as of Dec. 31, 2024, and reported Moody's-adjusted leverage of 4.6x and EBITDA margins above 50% as of Q3 2025 - important for market participants monitoring asset-backed advertising businesses.

Moody's Ratings has upgraded OUTFRONT Media Inc.'s Corporate Family Rating (CFR) to Ba3 from B1, reflecting the rating agency's expectation that the company will adopt more conservative financial management and achieve lower leverage levels.

Along with the CFR move, Moody's raised OUTFRONT's Probability of Default Rating to Ba3-PD from B1-PD. The senior unsecured notes issued by subsidiary OUTFRONT Media Capital LLC were elevated to B1 from B2. Moody's retained its Ba1 rating on the senior secured bank credit facility and the backed senior secured notes. All ratings carry a stable outlook.

Moody's forecasts that OUTFRONT's financial leverage will decline to the low 4x range over the coming 12 to 18 months, a reduction the agency attributes to robust revenue and EBITDA growth. The firm pointed to OUTFRONT's ongoing conversion of traditional static billboards to digital displays and its push into programmatic advertising as initiatives expected to deliver attractive returns and expand margins.

As of the third quarter of 2025, Moody's-adjusted leverage for OUTFRONT stood at 4.6x, and the company reported EBITDA margins in excess of 50%. OUTFRONT operates roughly 560,000 displays across 120 U.S. markets, including a presence in all of the top 25 markets as of December 31, 2024.

Moody's emphasized the company's strong competitive position within the U.S. outdoor advertising industry, noting that the hard-asset nature of billboards and regulatory constraints that limit new supply reduce competitive pressure.

The rating agency did identify specific vulnerabilities. It highlighted a significant concentration of displays in large urban centers, with New York City representing 55% of the company's total displays. Moody's also noted OUTFRONT's long-term contract with the New York Metropolitan Transit Authority, which runs through 2030 and carries what the agency described as "relatively unfavorable economics."

On liquidity, OUTFRONT retains access to an undrawn $500 million revolving credit facility that matures in September 2030 and held about $63 million in cash as of the third quarter of 2025. The company also maintains a $150 million accounts receivable securitization facility with no outstanding borrowings at that time.


Summary of Moody's actions and key metrics:

  • CFR upgraded to Ba3 from B1; Probability of Default moved to Ba3-PD from B1-PD.
  • Senior unsecured notes of OUTFRONT Media Capital LLC upgraded to B1 from B2; senior secured bank facility and secured notes remain at Ba1.
  • Moody's-adjusted leverage: 4.6x as of Q3 2025; EBITDA margins above 50%.
  • Scale and footprint: approximately 560,000 displays across 120 U.S. markets, including all top 25 markets as of Dec. 31, 2024.
  • Liquidity: undrawn $500 million revolver due Sept. 2030; ~$63 million cash; $150 million AR securitization facility with zero borrowings.

Moody's stable outlook indicates the agency expects these trends to hold over the near term, while the flagged concentrations and contract economics remain points of monitoring for credit risk.

Risks

  • High geographic concentration - New York City accounts for 55% of OUTFRONT's displays, creating exposure to a single large urban market that could affect revenue stability - risk for the outdoor advertising sector and urban transit-related revenues.
  • Contract economics with the New York Metropolitan Transit Authority remain a credit concern - the long-term contract through 2030 was described by Moody's as having relatively unfavorable economics, which could weigh on profitability tied to transit advertising.
  • Concentration and contract-related risks are points Moody's intends to monitor despite the company's liquidity and expected deleveraging - relevant to lenders and fixed-income investors assessing balance-sheet resilience.

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