McDonald's is leaning into its reputation as a trailblazer in the restaurant space by launching a new feature in its drive-thru and across other digital platforms. The fast-food giant announced the initiative at its Investor Day presentation last week. What does it mean for McDonald's customers? Read on for all of the details.

McDonald's Launches New Media Network Designed to Leverage Its Loyal Customers

McDonald's customers may soon be inundated with more information than they asked for when placing an order. The company told investors on September 23 that it is launching the McDonald's Media Network, a new business offshoot that will give other companies the opportunity to strategically place advertisements on its digital platforms and ordering screens.

Company leaders detailed that they began testing the pilot program in August 2026 at 450 of its company-owned restaurants. The opportunity has not been rolled out to its franchises, as those storefronts are independently owned and operated. According to CNBC, the pilot program features ads from companies not related to McDonald's on its digital drive-thru menu screens.

The ads pop up on the screen after the customer places the order. Global Chief Marketing Officer Morgan Flatley said that the company hopes that the new media network can grow into a $1 billion business.

For now, the third-party advertising is limited to its drive-thru screens at select restaurants. However, the broader network could one day include these ads on all of the digital screens inside the restaurants, including menu boards and self-order kiosks.

During the Investor Day presentation, executives showed an example featuring a Geico ad popping up on part of a drive-thru ordering screen. McDonald's told PEOPLE magazine that the pilot program is designed to test what it calls "post-purchase content." The company explained that "This limited menu board advertising pilot at select company-owned restaurants is exploring ways to share post-purchase content that customers may find helpful, relevant, or interesting, while ensuring the McDonald’s experience remains at the center of every visit."

Like many other players in the restaurant industry, McDonald's routinely uses pilot programs as a way to evaluate and tweak new ideas before rolling them out across the world.

What is Commerce Media?

This new marketing idea from McDonald's falls under the growing advertising market known as commerce media. This medium allows companies to leverage their existing customer relationships and network of digital platforms to sell advertising to third-party vendors that want to tap into that market.

Flatley said that "Commerce media is one of the fastest-growing areas in advertising, and it’s expected to reach more than $100 billion in the U.S. alone by 2028." McDonald's is distinguished for having one of the largest and most loyal customer bases in the industry. For example, McDonald's CFO Ian Borden said that roughly 85% of the U.S. population visits a McDonald’s restaurant at least once a year.

The company has also invested a significant amount of money and marketing efforts into expanding its loyalty program. The program now boasts about 220 million active loyalty members across the world. Flatley detailed that McDonald's will use the data gleaned from the loyalty program to group customers together based on their purchasing habits.

This data can also be used to customize promotions for its commerce media vendors so that they are reaching their target audience. As Flatley said, "The more our fans engage with us, the more we learn about them as individuals."

McDonald’s is joining mega retailers such as Amazon and Walmart in jumping on the commerce media bandwagon. Amazon confirmed that it took in $68.6 billion in advertising services sales in 2025. Likewise, Walmart said that its U.S. advertising business exploded by 43% in its fiscal second quarter.

The launch of the McDonald's Media Network was not the only news to come from company leaders on Investor Day. The company also said that it is investing heavily in its technology as it looks to modernize its restaurants and improve operations through its McDonald's > NEXT strategy.

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