Wildstone signs major media operators for recently acquired TOM assets

Wildstone has secured oOh!media and Gawk Outdoor as media operators for the portfolio of 52 sites it acquired earlier this year from Total Outdoor Media (TOM). ASX-listed oOh!media is Australia’s largest OOH operator by revenues, while Gawk Outdoor holds the highest market share of the regional Victoria market.

The buyout of TOM’s entire portfolio of regional billboards was announced in March and included 14 digital and 38 classic sites. The acquisition included a number of prime regional sites, including boards in Ballarat, Bendigo, Geelong, Shepparton and Wangaratta.

The deal marked Wildstone’s first Australian portfolio acquisition and cemented the company’s intent to become a leading infrastructure owner in the local market, with an aim to replicate the success it has enjoyed in its home market of the UK.

Wildstone is the largest owner of outdoor advertising infrastructure in the world, with more than 5,400 assets. The company focuses on owning billboards and enters into long-term partnerships with media operators to manage advertising for its sites.

It aims to work with both established names and emerging players in the industry to ensure it contributes to the long-term growth of the OOH market.

“We’re thrilled to have finalised agreements with oOh!media, Australia’s No. 1 OOH operator, and Gawk Outdoor, a company that is rapidly gaining regional market share. This is a major step forward following our largest Australian acquisition to date. We are excited to see the TOM OOH portfolio continuing to thrive, delivering value for advertisers and communities across the country,” said Noel Cook, Managing Director for Wildstone Australia.

Robbie Dery, Chief Commercial Operating Officer at oOh!media, said: “Regional out of home is an important part of oOh!’s business, and the addition of the premium digital and classic sites in Victoria’s largest regional centres via our relationship with Wildstone means oOh! continues to extend into key growth areas that further enhance and expand our national footprint.”

Luke Course, Director and Co-founder of Gawk Outdoor, said: “We are extremely excited to add such a large number of premium sites in regional VIC into our inventory. We were able to work closely with Wildstone to get this transaction completed, with both parties pulling in the same direction. This was a great opportunity to grow our business by a significant percentage without any capital investment.”

Wildstone is a leading owner of outdoor media infrastructure. The company’s portfolio of over 5,000 out-of-home advertising assets includes digital advertising screens in a variety of formats, classic billboards and super premium digital sites.

Wildstone buys and rents property sites for outdoor advertising across the UK, Europe and Australia, helping property owners generate income from their unused land or building facades in high-traffic locations.

Wildstone partners with media operators by offering new OOH locations as well as the expertise and capital investment needed to digitise sites. This collaboration enables media owners to accelerate growth, boost revenue and concentrate on their core business of selling OOH advertising.

Wildstone is shaping the future of outdoor advertising through the digitisation of out-of-home assets. The company provides high-quality roadside media that stand the test of time, using next-generation LED screen technology that is lightweight, slim and high-performing.

For more information, please visit www.wildstonecapital.com.au