‍

AEG is a pioneer in creating spaces where brands can seamlessly integrate with premier live sports, music, and entertainment experiences. In Los Angeles, that is best exemplified by downtown’s L.A. LIVE, which comprises Crypto.com Arena, where the LA Lakers, LA Sparks and LA Kings  play; and the Peacock Theater, which hosts such events as the Grammys, the Emmys, the Game Awards, and, in 2029, the Oscars. Adjacent to LA Live is the LA Convention Center, which is constantly hosting such gatherings as LA Comic-Con, the Anime Expo and LA Auto Show and more. High-end hotels, the J.W. Marriott and the Ritz-Carlton, border the campus. Sprinkled throughout are bars, restaurants and coffee shops, allowing visitors to remain fully immersed in the space.

AEG has taken that concept to other highly visited cities in the US. In Las Vegas, AEG has T-Mobile Arena, home of the NHL’s Las Vegas Golden Knights, as well as Toshiba Plaza. In Nashville, it is working with partners on 19-acre entertainment venue, Nashville Yards, anchored by AEG’s live-music venue, The Pinnacle, and its upscale eight-screen movie theater, Hooky. The sites are built intentionally to draw people in and keep them there.

After starting her career at CBS Outdoor, which was sold and became Outfront, Brenda Cruz moved to AEG in September 2024. She now serves as AEG’s Senior Director of Global Partnerships, out of home. LA Live, in particular, is her baby, and she works closely with brands to help them integrate in the space to reach fans using such impact vehicles as digital billboards and live activations. LA Live has plenty of opportunities to be in the global spotlight over the next few years, with events such as the FIFA World Cup this summer, Super Bowl LXI in 2027 and the Los Angeles Summer Olympics in 2028 (LA28).

Cruz joined Spotlight to chat about how she works with brands to take best advantage of these modern spaces.  

‍Spotlight: I feel like outdoor went away during the pandemic, and now I feel like it's come roaring back. Why do you think that happened?

‍Cruz: I think outdoor didn’t go away—it just paused because people weren’t out in the world the same way during the pandemic. Once things reopened, you had this huge return to live experiences—concerts, sports, travel—and that’s exactly where out-of-home thrives.

At the same time, the industry evolved. A lot of inventory shifted to digital, which made it more flexible and efficient for brands to activate quickly. That’s helped bring more advertisers back into the space.

But I always say there’s still a real place for both digital and static. Digital gives you flexibility and cost efficiency, but static gives you that full ownership and bold, ‘we’re here’ presence that’s hard to ignore.

I think the comeback isn’t just about returning to normal—it’s about outdoor becoming more dynamic and more aligned with how brands want to show up today, especially around live, in-person moments.

‍Spotlight: Do you see both static and digital working together at this point?

‍Cruz: Absolutely—I think the most effective campaigns today are using both together. They each play a different role.

Static tends to be the big, bold statement. It gives brands that full share of voice and really anchors a campaign—it’s where you make the biggest visual impact.

Digital, on the other hand, brings flexibility. You can rotate messaging, be more timely, and extend reach more efficiently.

What I’m seeing is that brands often go big with a flagship static placement to really own a moment, and then use digital to amplify it—whether that’s through multiple messages, dayparting, or broader coverage.

So it’s less about choosing one or the other, and more about how they work together to tell a more complete story.

‍Spotlight: So like draping a skyscraper or a wall ...

‍Cruz: Exactly—those large-scale executions like building wraps or hand-painted murals are meant to be statement pieces. They’re hard to miss and really create that ‘wow’ factor, especially in high-traffic areas.

That’s where static really shines—it gives a brand full ownership and a strong visual presence that sticks with people.

Digital, on the other hand, is great for value and flexibility. It allows brands to stay relevant, rotate messaging, and maintain consistent visibility over time.

It really comes down to the brand’s objective—if they want to make a bold, memorable impact, they’ll lean into those large-format static executions. If they’re focused more on frequency and reminders, digital is a great solution. Most of the time, the best strategy is a combination of both.

‍Spotlight: It’s very top-of-funnel.

‍Cruz: Yeah, it’s very much a top-of-funnel channel. Out-of-home is all about building awareness and staying top of mind as people go about their daily routines—whether that’s commuting, going to events, or just being out in the city.

That’s where digital has really taken off. It allows brands to show up consistently in those everyday moments and deliver that reminder value at scale.

And programmatic has been a big driver of that growth. It gives brands the ability to be more targeted and efficient—buying impressions, optimizing in real time, and aligning campaigns more closely with specific audiences or behaviors.

It’s still about awareness, but now it’s much smarter, more flexible, and more accountable than it used to be.

‍Spotlight: Could you explain how programmatic ad-buying works in the digital OOH space? 

‍Cruz: Programmatic in digital out-of-home is really about bringing data and precision into what’s traditionally been a broad awareness channel.

At a high level, brands can input their budget, target audience, and parameters—like specific geographies, zip codes, times of day, or even behavioral segments. From there, the platform identifies and serves ads across digital screens that best align with those criteria. So instead of buying individual boards, you’re essentially buying the audience you want to reach.

It also allows for more flexibility and efficiency—you can optimize in real time, adjust messaging, and scale across multiple markets pretty seamlessly.

That said, once you’re live, you are typically in a rotation with other advertisers on those digital screens. So overall, programmatic has made OOH more targeted, measurable, and accessible, while still maintaining that high-impact, real-world presence.

‍Spotlight: Why did AEG opt not to be on a programmatic network for LA Live? 

‍Cruz: At LA Live, it really comes down to the premium nature of our inventory and the environment it lives in. We’re not just selling a standard roadside billboard—we’re offering access to a highly curated, high-impact entertainment destination.

Our audience is very specific and intentional. People are coming to our campus for major moments—concerts, Lakers and Kings games, award shows—and that creates a level of engagement and energy that’s different from traditional OOH.

Because of that, we want to maintain control over how those assets are sold and ensure brands fully understand the value they’re getting. It’s less about volume and more about quality, exclusivity, and alignment with those live experiences.

By not going programmatic, we’re able to protect that premium positioning and create more customized, high-touch opportunities for our partners, rather than commoditizing the inventory.

‍Spotlight: These venues – using LA Live as the prime example – include live and experiential media, such as concerts and games, and then saturate those venues with digital media. Can you talk about how you strategically make those two different types of activations work together to better serve brands? 

‍Cruz: For us it really starts with understanding that we’re not just a media platform—we’re an experience platform.

What makes a place like LA Live unique is that you already have highly engaged audiences coming in for something they care about—whether it’s a concert, a game, or a major cultural event. Our role is to extend that experience beyond what’s happening inside the venue and bring it to life across the entire campus.

That’s where the integration happens. We use our digital media—LED networks, signage, and placements across the campus—to amplify what’s happening in real time, while pairing that with physical activations that allow brands to engage fans directly. So it’s not just ‘seen’ media, it becomes ‘experienced’ media.

People want an experience. It's not just about, ‘I went to the concert,

or I went to this game.’ They want to have a real-life experience that ties in with these events. That's what the new generation is looking for.

For example, a brand can dominate the visual landscape leading into an event, and then complement that with an on-the-ground activation—sampling, interactive booths, or social moments—that creates a deeper connection.

What’s really changed is that we’re now packaging all of this together intentionally. Historically, a lot of this was just considered signage, but now we’re approaching it through a true out-of-home lens—building integrated programs that connect media, moments, and audience.

That’s what brands are looking for today. They don’t just want impressions—they want engagement and a memorable experience. And being able to offer both, in one environment, is where we really differentiate.

Spotlight: Even though you don’t own the convention center, do you find that they're willing to partner with you?

‍Cruz:  Absolutely—we have a very strong, collaborative relationship with them. Even though we don’t own the Convention Center, we operate almost as an extension of each other because we’re part of the same overall ecosystem in Downtown LA.

We’re in constant communication, and there’s a lot of mutual benefit. I regularly incorporate their major events into my pitches—things like Anime Expo, LA Comic Con, LA Auto Show, and Complex Con — because they drive massive, highly engaged audiences right next door to our campus.

At the same time, they’ll often refer brands to us when there’s an opportunity to extend their presence beyond the convention center and into LA Live.

So it really becomes a win-win — we’re able to offer brands a broader footprint and more touchpoints with fans, and together we create a more cohesive experience for those attending these large-scale events.

‍Spotlight: What kinds of brands do you find come to an event like the Anime Expo and what kinds of activations do they put up?

‍Cruz: Events like Anime Expo attract a really specific and highly engaged audience, so the brands that show up are very aligned with that culture. You’re typically seeing gaming companies, developers, anime and manga publishers, and a growing number of digital-first brands—especially those with strong followings on platforms like YouTube.

A lot of these brands are used to engaging their audiences online, so when they come into a live environment like Anime Expo, they’re looking to bring that connection to life in a more tangible way.

From an activation standpoint, it’s very experiential. You’ll see things like interactive booths, game demos, pop-up retail shops with exclusive merch, and fan meet-and-greets. Some brands do giveaways or raffles—everything from limited-edition items to big-ticket prizes like consoles. Others focus on sampling or creating social-first moments that fans can share in real time.

At the end of the day, it’s all about engagement. These brands know their audience is physically there in one place, so they’re focused on creating memorable, hands-on experiences that deepen that connection beyond the screen.

‍Spotlight: So that’s a reason why LA Live doesn’t use programmatic, because brands are simultaneously doing real-life audience targeting in real time. 

‍Cruz: Exactly. A big part of it is that the value of being on a campus like LA Live is the immediacy and context you get around these events.

People are already there for something specific—whether it’s a convention at the Los Angeles Convention Center, a concert, or a game—so when brands show up in that environment, they’re not just advertising, they’re activating in real time.

That’s why messaging like ‘we’re right next door’ or ‘come visit our booth’ works so well—it directly connects the media exposure to the physical experience happening on the ground.

So it really ties together: the audience is highly targeted, the intent is already there, and the media becomes an extension of the live moment rather than something separate from it.

‍Spotlight: Los Angeles has several big global events coming up, including the FIFA World Cup in June, Super Bowl LXI in 2027, the Los Angeles Summer Olympics in 2028 and the Oscars at the Peacock Theater in 2029. How do you think LA Live will be able to take advantage of all of these events for its brand partners? 

‍Cruz: There’s a huge opportunity for LA Live because we sit directly in the center of where these global moments will physically happen.

For example, during the Olympics, our venues like Crypto.com Arena and the Peacock Theater are expected to host Olympic events. That means our entire campus becomes part of the official competitive footprint.

With that comes a very unique environment: during the Games, the venues will transition into what’s called a ‘clean venue,’ meaning only official LA28 partners will be visible on-site. So brands really have to think about that in two ways.

One, if they want true, in-venue Olympic visibility, that requires an official partnership with LA28.

Two, for brands that are part of longer-term agreements with us, there’s still a very strong opportunity before and after the Olympic Games. Most of our partnerships are multi-year, so even if there is a temporary blackout period during the Olympics itself, brands still benefit from the lead-up excitement and the legacy period afterward.

So overall, it becomes less about a single moment and more about a multi-year storytelling window tied to some of the biggest global events coming to Los Angeles.

Spotlight: OK, so LA28 is a highly specific event. But what about events like the World Cup, which will be played at SoFi (or 2028) Stadium in Inglewood. Do you get spillover from that? 

‍Cruz: Yes—there’s absolutely spillover, and in many ways that’s where LA Live becomes even more valuable for brands.

Even though events like the FIFA World Cup 2026 and the Super Bowl at SoFi Stadium are physically about 24 miles away, they still create a massive regional takeover moment for Los Angeles. The entire city becomes the experience.

What we’ve seen in past major events is that brands don’t want to be limited to just the stadium footprint—they want to extend their presence into the broader market where fans are staying, gathering, and celebrating.

A great example of that was the 2026 NBA All-Star Weekend when the game was hosted at Intuit Dome arena. However, LA Live hosted a full campus takeover sponsored by Foot Locker, where multiple brands like Nike, Adidas, Crocs, New Era, and Puma each had dedicated spaces for fan engagement, exclusive merch drops, and athlete appearances. We had major athlete moments happening throughout the weekend that extended far beyond the game itself.

That’s really the opportunity for us—we become the extension of the event. Even if the game is happening at SoFi, LA Live becomes the downtown hub where fans, brands, and culture converge before and after.

Instead of competing with the venue, we complement it—and that’s what brands are really looking for: additional touchpoints in the same ecosystem.

‍Spotlight: AEG just signed a deal with Sega to become an official partner of LA Live and I think that's especially interesting in light of the Anime Expo coming up plus events like The Game Awards. When you sign a deal like that with a company like Sega. What does that look like? What is it about these events and this venue that attracted a brand like Sega? 

‍Cruz: Sega is a great example of how brands are thinking more strategically about LA Live as a year-round platform, not just a single-event opportunity.

With them being headquartered in Irvine, there’s a natural geographic and cultural connection, but more importantly, there’s a brand evolution happening in gaming overall. It’s no longer just ‘gaming’—it’s anime, cosplay, live events, streaming culture, films and mainstream entertainment all blending together.

What LA Live was able to offer a brand like Sega, was a full ecosystem of moments to plug into—everything from sports like Lakers games and events like the FIFA World Cup, to entertainment moments like award shows and conventions tied to gaming culture, including Anime Expo and The Game Awards.

So for brands like Sega, it’s not just about showing up where gamers are—it’s about embedding themselves into culture at large. And that’s really what LA Live allows brands to do.

Spotlight: What are you looking forward to as you move ahead with this new approach that you're taking for brands?

‍Cruz: What I’m most excited about is the shift from just selling media to actually building connections between brands and fandoms.

One of the things that drew me to AEG was the ability to step deeper into sports and entertainment in a way I hadn’t before. In traditional out-of-home, you’re often focused on the asset itself—selling a billboard, a screen, or a location.

Here, it’s different. I’m not just placing media in front of people—I’m bringing brands directly into live experiences, whether that’s concerts, festivals, or major sports moments.

What’s exciting for me moving forward is that we’re not just thinking about impressions, we’re thinking about participation. It’s about how brands show up inside culture and become part of the experience people are actually there to enjoy.