Telecom Rogers Gets Into DOOH Via Acquisition Of Rouge Media’s Canadian Footprint

January 5, 2021 by Dave Haynes

The Canadian arm of Rouge Media has been acquired by Rogers Sports & Media, giving the Toronto-based telecommunications and media company a footprint in digital OOH media.

Rogers, in Canada, started as a cable company, but as the case with many large companies with that DNA it has turned into a conglomerate that has everything from broadcasting and print to wireless networks.

Rouge Media, based in Toronto, will continue to run similar DOOH networks in the United States, where it also operates and has multiple offices.

Rouge Media operates static and digital-based signage within university and college campuses, restaurant-bars and salons.

“We are proud that our Canadian OOH networks, partnerships and Rouge Canada team are
now part of Rogers Sports & Media,” says Martin Poitras, CEO Rouge Media. “Our best in class assets and networks will be in good hands and a strong media compliment within the Rogers omni-channel portfolio.”

Rouge Media has national Campus and Women (salon) networks in the U.S., with more than
3.000 locations.

Rogers has TV, radio and print and digital publishing, but not (at least as far as I know or can see) a substantial OOH footprint. Its main telecoms and media rival in Canada – Bell – has a substantial DOOH footprint in Canada (inc. bars and campus). Bell Media developed, in part, through the acquisition of Montreal’s Astral Media a few years ago.

Rouge’s Toronto-based Chief Revenue Officer left Rogers Sports and Media several years ago to join Rouge, so there is a degree of continuity to this shift from small media firm to giant (in Canadian terms) telecoms/media company.