The company expected sales of $62 million for 1987.
There was no single billboard sign that sold for a purchase price of $100 million in 1987. However, there are two closely related events from that era that likely explain the headline you are remembering:
If you are remembering a business transaction rather than a pop culture story, you might be thinking of the sale of . billboard sold for $100 million 1987
Affiliated Publications , the then-parent company of the Boston Globe .
While the 1987 sale was about a publishing empire, the term "billboard" often brings to mind outdoor advertising. In that world, 1987 was equally transformative. It was the era when tobacco and alcohol manufacturers were the kings of the roadside , accounting for nearly 30% of all outdoor advertising revenue. The company expected sales of $62 million for 1987
If your memory is tied to pop culture and 1987 , you are likely remembering the Nicole Meyer "GUESS" model lawsuit where she sued for $100 million. If your memory is tied to business news , you are likely remembering the sale of Gannett Outdoor for $100 million (which occurred in 1985).
Following the acquisition, Billboard Publications Inc. was renamed . Under this new ownership, the company aggressively expanded by acquiring other major trade titles, including: The Hollywood Reporter Adweek Marketing Week Affiliated Publications , the then-parent company of the
It is also worth noting that in later years, the concept of a "100 million dollar billboard" became associated with .
There is no verified historical record of a billboard being sold for $100 million in 1987. That figure would have been astronomical for the time—far exceeding the value of even the most premium advertising spaces in places like New York’s Times Square or along the Sunset Strip.
💡 While $100 million was a massive sum in 1987, it’s worth noting that the first concert tours to gross over $100 million also occurred during this same period (Michael Jackson’s Bad tour and Pink Floyd’s Momentary Lapse of Reason tour).