JCDecaux

---

title: "JCDecaux" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["advertising-agencies-of-france", "outdoor-advertising-agencies", "french-companies-established-in-1964", "marketing-companies-established-in-1964", "french-business-families", "mass-media-in-paris", "bicycle-sharing-companies", "companies-listed-on-euronext-paris", "pro-russian-propaganda"] description: "French outdoor advertising company" topic_path: "geography/france" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/JCDecaux" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary French outdoor advertising company ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox company"]

Field	Value
logo	JCDecaux logo.svg
name	JCDecaux Group
type	Public (Societas Europaea)
traded_as
CAC Mid 60 Component
ISIN
founded
hq_location_city	Neuilly-sur-Seine
hq_location_country	France
founder	Jean-Claude Decaux
industry	Outdoor advertising
parent	JCDecaux Holding
subsid
owners
num_employees	13,030 (2016)
revenue	€3.57 billion (2023)
net_income	€209.2 million (2023)
homepage
::

| logo = JCDecaux logo.svg | name = JCDecaux Group | type = Public (Societas Europaea) | traded_as = CAC Mid 60 Component | ISIN = | founded = | hq_location_city = Neuilly-sur-Seine | hq_location_country = France | founder = Jean-Claude Decaux | industry = Outdoor advertising | products = | parent = JCDecaux Holding | subsid = | owners = | num_employees = 13,030 (2016) | revenue = €3.57 billion (2023) | net_income = €209.2 million (2023) | homepage =

JCDecaux SE ( ) is a French multinational corporation focused on outdoor advertising. As of 2016, it is the largest company in its sector worldwide with adverts on 140,000 bus stops and 145 airports. The company is headquartered in Neuilly-sur-Seine, near Paris, France.

The company was founded in 1964 in Lyon by Jean-Claude Decaux who led the company until 2000. The company is still majority-owned by the Decaux family, with most of the remaining stock listed on Euronext Paris. The founder's sons, Jean-François Decaux and Jean-Charles Decaux, alternate annually as the chief executive officers.

The company's chief international competitor is Clear Channel Outdoor.

History

Jean-Claude Decaux (1937-2016) first created a company in 1955 that specialised in outdoor advertising alongside motorways. However, as these billboards were heavily taxed by law, Jean-Claude Decaux turned towards a business model in 1964 that was based on city billboards and invented the concept of advertising street furniture – well-maintained bus shelters fully funded by advertisers.

In 1999, the group acquired Havas Media Communication and Avenir. This acquisition allowed the group to expand into the large-format advertising market and advertising in airports. In 2001, JCDecaux entered the Euronext Stock Exchange with an opening share price of €16.50. In 2002, Jean-Claude Decaux passed the management of the company on to two of his three sons, Jean-Charles Decaux and Jean-François Decaux , who then became co-CEOs of the company.

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6f/Fiat_Doblo_JC_Decaux_Strasbourg.JPG" caption="JCDecaux van in France"] ::

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d8/Cross_Bay_Bl_149th_Av_td_10.jpg" caption="JCDecaux bus shelter in [[Queens, New York]], United States"] ::

In 2011, JCDecaux acquired French kiosk business MediaKiosk.

In January 2022, JCDecaux reported its 2021 revenue as $3.06 billion, an increase of 18.7%, which was perceived as an indication that the out-of-home market had recovered from the disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions of the previous years.

Controversies

Helsinki Finns Party campaign

During the 2021 Finnish municipal elections, a campaign in Helsinki public transport run by JCDecaux on the behalf of the Finns Party was accused of racism and spreading inflammatory messages by suggesting that immigrants are preferred to the native Finns in the allocation of municipally owned rental housing in Helsinki. Consequently, JCDecaux and Helsinki City Transport have decided to cancel the campaign. This in turn was criticized by the Finns Party, including by its chairman Jussi Halla-aho, however, the party's request for a formal police investigation was denied.

Pro-Russian ads in Norway

During the early campaign before the 2025 Norwegian parliamentary election, the company was criticized for running an advertisement campaign on the Oslo Metro echoing Russian disinformation techniques and opposing Norwegian military aid to Ukraine following the Russian invasion. The campaign was ostensibly funded by a newly established pro-Russian party Peace and Justice (FOR). However, the party neither reported donations anywhere near the required amount nor disclosed its funding sources, leading to strong suspicions of foreign interference and possible Russian financing. As a result, the Political Parties Act Committee launched an investigation into the campaign. JCDecaux’s Norway head, Gisle Holst Roness, declined to disclose how much the company was paid. The campaign also drew sharp criticism from Oslo Sporveiers Arbeiderforening (OSA), the city’s largest transport union, which denounced the ads as “populist, divisive and irresponsible,” stating that such messages “pollute the urban environment” and “undermine fundamental values such as international solidarity and the fight for peace and democracy.” The campaign was aborted after the party has accused the operator Sporveien, and consequently JCDecaux, of breach of contract due to the widespread vandalism aimed at the anti-Ukraine posters.

Bicycle rentals

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8d/Vélib_Sèvres-Lecourbe.jpg" caption="Sèvres–Lecourbe]] pictured) was operated by JCDecaux until 2017."] ::

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2c/Deelfietsen_(40676258973).jpg" caption="[[Villo!]] bikes in [[Brussels"] ::

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/56/Lyon_3e_-Station_Vélo'v_3002_place_Béraudier(fév_2019).jpg" caption="[[Vélo'v]] bikes near [[Lyon-Part-Dieu station"] ::

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/09/Veloh_Luxexpo_2.jpg" caption="Vel'OH! bike station in [[Luxembourg City"] ::

JCDecaux operates fleets of city bicycles under the brand Cyclocity.

The cities that have implemented JCDecaux's bicycle rental systems are listed below.

To sort this table by any column, click on the [[File:Sort both.gif]] icon next to the column title. ::data[format=table]

City	Country	Years of operation	System name	Stations	Bikes
Amiens	France	since 2008	Vélam	26	313
Besançon	France	since 2007	VéloCité	30	200
Brisbane	Australia	since 2010	CityCycle	150	2000
Brussels	Belgium	since 2009	Villo!	360	5000
Cergy-Pontoise	France	since 2009	VélO2	42	400
Córdoba	Spain	since 2003	Cyclocity	4	35
Créteil	France	since 2010	Cristolib’	10	130
Dublin	Ireland	since 2009	Dublinbikes	102	1500
Gijón	Spain	since 2003	Gijon-Bici	8	64
Gothenburg	Sweden	since 2010	Styr & Ställ	url=http://www.goteborgbikes.se/Allt-du-behoever-veta-om-Styr-Staell	title=Allt du behöver veta om Styr & Ställ
Kazan	Russia	2013-2020	Veli’K	6	title=Лето в городе: 8 июня в Казани стартовал сезон велопроката
Lillestrøm	Norway	since 2013	Bysykkel	5	50
Ljubljana	Slovenia	since 2011	BicikeLJ	last=Ljubljanainfo	title=BicikeLJ – kmalu še dve novi postajališči ob Dolenjski cesti, potem je pogodba izčrpana, kaj sledi?
Lund	Sweden	since 2014	Lundahoj	17	250
Luxembourg City	Luxembourg	since 2008	Vel'oh!	144	1157
Lyon	France	since 2005	Vélo'v	348	4000
Maribor	Slovenia	since 2022	Mbajk	22	220
Marseille	France	since 2007	Le vélo	130	1000
Mulhouse	France	since 2007	Vélocité	40	240
Namur	Belgium	since 2010	Li Bia Velo	24	240
Nancy	France	since 2008	VélOstan'lib	29	250
Nantes	France	since 2008	Bicloo	102	880
Paris	France	2007-2017	Vélib'	1263	9000
Rouen	France	since 2007	Cy'clic	20	250
Santander	Spain	since 2008	Tusbic	15	200
Seville	Spain	since 2007	Sevici	260	2500
Toulouse	France	since 2007	VélôToulouse	253	2400
Toyama	Japan	since 2010	Cyclocity-Toyama	15	150
Valencia	Spain	since 2010	Valenbisi	275	2750
Vienna	Austria	2003-2022	City Bike	116	1500
Vilnius	Lithuania	since 2013	Cyclocity Vilnius	37	300
::

Worldwide presence

JCDecaux operates in more than 75 countries across five continents. 77.9% of JCDecaux's annual revenue comes from outside of France.

Europe

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f6/Art_Deco_Offices_(51307716104).jpg" caption="Golden Mile]] in [[West London"] ::

JCDecaux originated in France.

Thanks to its partnership with Wall AG, the company settled in Germany in 1982 and then in Turkey in 1996.

JCDecaux UK was founded in the United Kingdom in 1984 and is the market leader in outdoor advertising. In 2005, JCDecaux UK unveiled the UK's tallest outdoor advertising structure: the M4 Torch. JCDecaux won several important contracts such as: a contract for Outdoor Advertising at St Pancras International in London (2011), and National Rail Outdoor Advertising and BAA Advertising Contracts at Heathrow, Heathrow Express, Aberdeen, Edinburgh, and Glasgow Airports. In 2010, JCDecaux completed the acquisition of UK rival Titan Outdoor. In 2015, JCDecaux won the Transport for London (TfL) bus shelter advertising contract.

JCDecaux can now be found in most European countries, including Luxembourg (1985), the Netherlands (1986), Finland (1989), Sweden (1989), Spain (1990), Slovakia (1990), Czech Republic (1995), Norway (1998), Ireland (1999), Poland (1999) and in Hungary (2012). JCDecaux can also be found in the Baltic states (2002), Bulgaria (2007), and Ukraine (2007). Additionally, JCDecaux is present in Denmark (AFA JCDecaux Denmark) since 1989, in Italy (IGPDecaux) since 1995, in Iceland (AFA JCDecaux Iceland) since 1998, in Switzerland (APG|SGA) since 1999, in Austria (Gewista) since 2001, in Croatia and Slovenia (Europlakat) since 2001, in Serbia (Alma Quattro) since 2003 and in Russia (Russ Outdoor) since 2007 through equity or joint ventures.

North America

JCDecaux has been present in the United States since 1993 in major cities and 26 US airports, including New York, Washington, D.C., and Los Angeles. JCDecaux entered Canada in 2002.

Its North America division has its head office 350 Fifth Avenue in Midtown Manhattan, New York City.

South America

JCDecaux moved into Brazil and Argentina in 1998. The company is also a part of the outdoor market in Argentina, Uruguay (2000), Chile (2001) and Perú (2014). JCDecaux won a contract for 1000 digital clocks in São Paulo (2012), completing the acquisition of 85% of EUMEX.

Middle East and Africa

The company's operation also covers the Middle East with offices established in Dubai and Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates, Doha in Qatar, Tel Aviv in Israel, as well as Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam and Madinah in Saudi Arabia. JCDecaux signed a 20-year exclusive street furniture contract to provide the City of Muscat, the capital of the Sultanate of Oman, with a wide range of advertising street furniture.

JCDecaux is present in the following African countries: Cameroon, Cote D'Ivoire, Gabon, Nigeria, Malawi, Mauritius, Réunion, Tanzania, Angola, Botswana Eswatini, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

Asia and Oceania

JCDecaux expanded to Australia in 1997. In Asia, JCDecaux can be found in Singapore and Thailand (1999), Japan (2000, as MCDecaux) and South Korea (2001). JCDecaux entered China in 2004, in seven airports, including Hong Kong, Shanghai and Beijing. The company also has a presence in India (2006), Uzbekistan (2006), Kazakhstan (2007) and Mongolia (2014).

In 2018, the company acquired the Australian company APN Outdoor.

According to JCDecaux, they have been maintaining and building about 1200 bus shelters within the NDMC since 2006 on their behalf. In March 2020, JCDecaux reported that they had been disinfecting bus shelters in Delhi in order to combat the spread of COVID-19 effectively.

References

References

1. [http://www.jcdecaux.com/content/download/3926/56396/version/10/file/JCDecaux-2014_Reference-Document.pdf JCDecaux] {{webarchive. link. (2015-11-20 (December 31, 2014))
2. "Jean-Claude Decaux & family".
3. Gaffney, Andrea. (2009). "JCDecaux as an Indicator of Globalization". Berkeley Planning Journal.
4. "Jean-Claude Decaux & family".
5. (27 April 1999). "JC Decaux to buy Havas' outdoor advertising division".
6. "Financial News - Setting the agenda for the City".
7. Oakes, Omar. (2016-05-31). "Jean-Claude Decaux: tributes to shoe seller's son who changed the face of advertising".
8. (21 October 2011). "French and Benelux stocks-Factors to watch on Oct 21".
9. Lepitak, Stephen. (28 January 2022). "JCDecaux Results Show Recovery of Confidence in Out of Home".
10. (10 March 2022). "JCDecaux: Full-Year 2021 results".
11. "Perussuomalaisten paheksuntaa herättäneet vaalimainokset poistetaan katukuvasta – Halla-aho: Mielenkiintoista, jos mainoslauseiden on oltava kirjaimellisesti totta". Yle.
12. "HKL boss not suspected of official misconduct in election advertising scandal". Yle.
13. "Nytt politisk parti nektar å oppgi kven som betalar for stor kampanje". NRK.
14. "Fagforening i Sporveien Oslo tar avstand fra politisk reklame". Aftenposten.
15. "Partiet FOR avslutter reklamekontrakt". NRK.
16. (2010-02-16). "Japan's First Bike-Sharing Service Ready to Roll in Toyama City".
17. (2013-07-09). "Cyclocity cities".
18. "Allt du behöver veta om Styr & Ställ".
19. "«Теперь все тихо умерло»: как сервис велопроката Veli'K исчез из Казани". Реальное время.
20. (2013-10-17). "Veli’K: итоги работы городского велопроката".
21. "Лето в городе: 8 июня в Казани стартовал сезон велопроката".
22. Ljubljanainfo. "BicikeLJ – kmalu še dve novi postajališči ob Dolenjski cesti, potem je pogodba izčrpana, kaj sledi?".
23. (2023-12-21). "New vel'OH stations to open in Luxembourg City and surroundings".
24. (2025-08-16). "Vandalism remains an issue for vel'OH! bikes".
25. "Citybikes werden ab Freitag von Wien-Mobil-Rad abgelöst".
26. "Annual Report / The JCDecaux group / Home - JCDecaux".
27. (9 November 2011). "JCDecaux awarded digital advertising contract at St Pancras station".
28. Sweney, Mark. (19 January 2010). "JCDecaux buys Titan Outdoor".
29. Oakes, Omar. (6 August 2015). "TfL confirms JCDecaux as winner of 'world's biggest bus shelter ad contract'".
30. (21 December 2012). "JCDecaux reenters Hungary".
31. (12 September 2005). "JCDecaux renews and expands its New York Airport contract".
32. (9 September 2010). "JCDecaux renews advertising contract for the two Washington DC Airports".
33. (12 December 2013). "JCDecaux wins Los Angeles International Airport Terminal Media Operator Concession".
34. "Contact".
35. (30 January 2015). "BOURSE-JCDecaux au plus haut après un contrat au Brésil".
36. (February 21, 2012). "JCDecaux SA: JCDecaux Launches Its Operations in Oman Through a 20-Year Street Furniture Contract with Muscat Municipality". 4-traders.
37. "reuters.com".
38. Wallbank, Paul. (15 October 2018). "APN Outdoor shareholders approve JC Decaux deal". Mumbrella.
39. (2021-12-01). "Delhi Street Furniture".
40. (31 March 2020). "JCDecaux India joins COVID-19 fight, sanitises public utilities".

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