Cars.com Inc. (NYSE: CARS) has partnered with Uber Advertising to become the first automotive content partner for JourneyTV Presents, Uber’s in-ride entertainment platform. The partnership allows Cars.com to reach riders with curated car shopping content while on the move, featuring a “Send to Phone” function that links directly to Cars.com for a seamless path to purchase.
Reaching Consumers on the Go
Jennifer Vianello, Chief Marketing Officer at Cars.com, emphasized the strategic value of the collaboration: “Cars.com is the first JourneyTV automotive content partner, allowing us to leverage our differentiated editorial content to reach a new attentive audience of potential car buyers well beyond the marketplace.” She highlighted the company’s strength in editorial authority, which engages shoppers early in their purchase journey while driving traffic and conversions.
This marks Cars.com’s first video content syndication partnership, leveraging its in-house expertise and extensive editorial coverage. By providing trusted advice, research, and consumer reviews, the platform helps undecided buyers—more than 70% of Cars.com users—navigate major decisions such as selecting the make, model, or dealership.¹
Editorial Content Meets Marketplace Conversion
Cars.com’s proprietary content covers a wide array of topics, from the most affordable cars and top family vehicles to EV insights and used car shopping tips. Signature reports like the American-Made Index, Best of Awards, and Affordability Report guide shoppers while seamlessly integrating with Cars.com’s marketplace experience. This connectivity ensures that informed buyers are efficiently funneled to the platform’s ~20,000 local dealer customers.
Strategic Implications for Automotive Advertising
The partnership reflects a broader trend in digital advertising: delivering contextual, high-value content directly to consumers in non-traditional environments, such as rideshare vehicles. Competitors like Autotrader and Edmunds have built strong digital research ecosystems, but Cars.com’s move to syndicate video content directly in-ride differentiates it by engaging users in a captive, attentive environment and linking them instantly to purchase pathways.
By combining editorial authority with interactive functionality, Cars.com is reinforcing its leadership in early-stage buyer engagement and conversion-focused content distribution, setting a new benchmark for automotive advertisers looking to reach consumers beyond screens at home.
