Digital OOH cinema’s Screenvision acquires UniqueScreen; now approaching National CineMedia in scale

September 2, 2011 by Dave Haynes

Cinema Advertising is kinda like a step-sibling to what we think of as Digital OOH or Digital Place-based Media. PQ Media, for one, rolls cinema into its research and forecasts for the overall Digital OOH sector.

Now another company has done a business deal that also makes it a big fella in the space. New York-basedScreenvision has closed a deal to acquire UniqueScreen Media, Inc., the St. Cloud, MN-based cinema advertising division of Cinedigm Digital Cinema Corp (based in NJ).

Screenvision and Cinedigm have also agreed on a deal that sees Cinedigm providing alternative content distribution and promotion for Screenvision.

Screenvision’s deal expands the national cinema advertising network in more top 25 DMA markets, like Boston, Dallas and Atlanta and brings the overall footprint to 15,266 screens (10,622 are digital). That’s not that far behind National CineMedia.

It appears Screenvision is privately held, so it’s not readily apparent what kind of revenues they turn … but based on overall scope they’d also be one of the bigger players in all of Digital OOH.

The deal is described as a win-win thing, says Chris McGurk, Chairman and CEO of Cinedigm. “This partnership accomplishes two key goals for Cinedigm: First, it further focuses our resources on alternative content marketing and distribution, a core business where we can be the clear market leader, now further enhanced by the Screenvision platform and relationships. Second, given Screenvision’s leadership position in cinema advertising, this agreement gives our exhibition partners a stronger advertising platform while, at the same time, Cinedigm exits a non-core business.”

So, consolidation in the sector is happening with all different sizes of companies.