PRN In, ABC Out For Ad Sales on 7-Eleven Digital OOH Network

August 28, 2012 by Dave Haynes

ABC is out and PRN is in as the lead ad sales team for the 7-Eleven TV Digital OOH network.

Premier Retail Networks has done a deal with Digital Display Networks, which operates the network in some 4,400 c-stores, to be the  exclusive advertising sales representative for the network effective immediately.

Says a release:

Under the new agreement, PRN will offer brands the opportunity to reach 100 million viewers monthly on 7-Eleven TV, America’s largest single chain digital out-of-home network installed in approximately 4,400 locations. The addition of 7-Eleven TV grows PRN’s existing footprint by 50 percent, to 300 million active viewers monthly.

“We are thrilled to partner with DDN – the largest player in this segment – to enable our clients to enhance their brand experience for an audience of highly engaged shoppers,” says Ahmad Ouri, President and CEO of PRN. “The addition of 7-Eleven® TV to PRN’s portfolio exemplifies why Digital Place-based Media is gaining relevance in an era marked by the rise of social, mobile and location-based technologies.”

“Aligning with PRN will provide the innovative sales strategies needed to monetize the scale that 7-Eleven TV has achieved,” says David Veckerelli, Co-CEO of DDN.

“Working with PRN complements DDN’s future expansion of the 7-Eleven TV network as well as other verticals,” adds Darren Mann, Co-CEO of DDN.

It’s actually kinda funny the “co-CEOs” both have quotes.

A look at the company website still shows ABC Regional Sports and Entertainment Sales as the entity doing ad sales for this network. There has not exactly been a long, storied history of TV guys selling Digital OOH, and perhaps more to the point there hasn’t been a storied history of Digital OOH guys selling Digital OOH.

It continues to be a tough go for most people selling this medium, and if PRN is indeed thrilled to be taking this network on, then the exec team gets its thrills in funny ways. The challenge of selling c-stores as a media environment is enormous, and the tab run up to get this network out to 4,400 sites in less than two years is equally huge.

The PRN guys must know something I don’t, as I can’t see the plus side of taking this one on. I’d love to know whether ABC walked or DDN punted them.