Broadsign
International Inc., the leading digital out-of-home marketing
platform, today announced that it has reached an agreement to acquire
the industry’s premier out-of-home enterprise business solution, Ayuda
Media Systems. Both companies are headquartered in Montreal. For
out-of-home (OOH) media owners who have an increasingly complex mix of
digital and classic inventory/locations, the combined power of Broadsign
and Ayuda will enable them to streamline business operations across
their inventory, digital and classic. The transaction is expected to
close in the second quarter of 2019.
The OOH industry delivered US $38.6 billion of advertising in 2018, and
for the first time 50% of revenue came from digital signage locations1.
As OOH media owners continue to drive forward, each needs a more unified
solution for managing, selling and delivering their OOH advertising,
regardless of format type.
“This is a tremendous opportunity to bring together two market leaders
in OOH software. Together we can help media owners drive greater
efficiency in their business while at the same time realize the full
potential of the industry as it becomes increasingly digital,” said Burr
Smith, President and CEO of Broadsign. “The OOH industry has never been
in a better place. However, to accelerate growth even more, media owners
and their advertisers need access to the most innovative capabilities
available, such as tools for revenue optimization and the ability to
sell via programmatic buying channels — both of which we can help them
access.”
Ayuda was recently recognized by Deloitte Canada as one of the 50
fastest growing companies in Canada, with 647% revenue growth since
2014. Their impressive client roster includes AdShel (Australia), Astral
(Canada), OUTFRONT Media (Canada), Rouge Media (Canada), Ströer
(Germany), VGI Global Media (Thailand), VMO (Australia), and Vyoma
(India). We are delighted that Ayuda’s present CEO, Luc Filiatreault,
and all of the talented members of the development, operations, sales
and services leadership team members of Ayuda have agreed to join
Broadsign.
“The historical coming together of Broadsign and Ayuda makes so much
sense,” said Andreas Soupliotis, Founder of Ayuda Media Systems. “The
combined offering of both companies creates an unprecedented best-ever
offering for out-of-home media owners. I am thrilled to see these two
powerhouse teams unite. The future of our industry is brighter than
ever.”
“Ayuda’s robust business operations, financing, and ad delivery
management system is a terrific fit with Broadsign’s market leading
digital out-of-home marketing platform,” said Mark Boidman, Managing
Director at PJ Solomon, which acted as Broadsign’s financial advisor on
this transaction. “We are tremendously excited by the opportunity for
the industry to take advantage of the combined strength of these two
companies.”
This news comes after a record year for Broadsign. In 2018, the company
evolved from a content management system to a DOOH marketing platform
and launched three new products, including its market leading
programmatic DOOH solution, Broadsign Reach. Seven months after its
launch, Broadsign Reach has integrated with 17 DSP partners and
delivered campaigns in nine countries, for brands including: foodora,
John Lewis, Pepsi, Peugeot, SEAT, UFC, XITE Networks, and more. With the
acquisition of Ayuda, the company will employ 230 people globally, and
power over 425,000 signs around the world, including more than 180,000
digital signs. This transaction represents the first acquisition in
Broadsign’s 15-year history. Future acquisitions will play an important
role in Broadsign’s strategic plans, complementing organic growth and
further enhancing its position as the market leader in OOH/digital
signage software.
About Broadsign
Broadsign is the leading digital out-of-home (DOOH) marketing platform
that enables brands, agencies and DOOH media publishers to buy, sell,
and deliver DOOH campaigns efficiently, reliably and securely. Lighting
up airports, shopping malls, health clinics, street corners and more,
Broadsign’s platform powers screens at the heart of people’s lives and
delivers more than 13 billion ads and 52 billion impressions per month.
Broadsign’s platform includes Broadsign Control for content
distribution, playback and proof of performance, Broadsign Direct for
sales inventory availability and proposal generation, and Broadsign
Reach, a customized SSP for programmatic DOOH transactions.
About Ayuda
Ayuda is an advertising technology and operations software company
specializing in out-of-home business optimization. Ayuda’s Platform is
used globally by some of the world’s largest out-of-home media owners to
manage day-to-day business operations. It includes an end-to-end ERP
built for out-of-home, a fully native ad-based digital signage platform,
and partner integrations that enable out-of-home media companies to tap
into new digital revenue streams and modernize trading models.
Broadsign and Ayuda are members of the DPAA, OAAA, FEPE, DSF, and IAB.
1PWC
2018 Media & Entertainment Report
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