Why McDonald's is following Walmart and Amazon into the advertising business
McDonald's is building its own media network, following the strategic path of retail giants like Walmart and Amazon to monetize customer traffic.
Finance Reporter
NEW YORK — McDonald's is moving to build its own media network, following the strategic path previously charted by major retail operators like Walmart and Amazon, according to a report published on Sept. 23, 2026, by CNBC.
Strategic Context
The move by the fast-food chain represents a shift into the advertising business, drawing direct parallels to how massive retail and e-commerce platforms monetize their customer traffic and digital touchpoints. The operational pivot taps into the growing corporate playbook of turning captive consumer audiences and proprietary transaction data into media inventory.
Forward Outlook
As McDonald's develops its media network infrastructure, operators and market watchers will monitor how the fast-food giant integrates advertising across its digital ordering channels and physical locations to compete with established retail media networks.
Priya Nair
Finance Reporter
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