New-ish, Tech-Backed DOOH Network Looking To Roll Strikes In US Bowling Centers

June 5, 2023 by Dave Haynes

The build-it-and-hope-the-ad-buys-come third-party ad network model has had mixed results through the maybe 25 years it’s been tried, but a relatively new run at it might have more success because it has the direct backing of an industry’s association and sponsor sales arm.

The Bowling Proprietors’ Association of America (BPAA) and the United States Bowling Congress (USBC), and the sales and marketing arm of bowling centers –  Strike Ten Entertainment – have partnered on a US-focused digital OOH ad screen network called, logically, Bowling Center TV.

The partnership was announced last year and now the group is marketing how it has technology partnerships with WiPro, Cisco, Samsung and Creative Realities for the infrastructure put in free or charge to locations. As is the case with many to most of these kinds of third-party networks, the venues get a share of national ad revenues, as well as local screen time they can use for messaging or hyperlocal advertising.

Most of these kinds of networks have to win new venues one by one by one, which can be costly and very time-consuming, so I like the premise of something being developed and supported within the industry – versus a third-party coming at this from outside the industry.

From the PR involving WiPro:

“Wipro VisionEDGE and BCTV represent a significant breakthrough in the digital signage and out-of-home industry, enabling targeted customer engagement,” says Malay Joshi, an SVP with Wipro Limited. “Bowling centers boast highly engaged audiences and offer unique experiences. We are thrilled to leverage our dynamic, omni-channel solution powered by VisionEDGE to maximize content synchronization, on-screen layered content, targeted distribution, advertising revenue opportunities, and operational efficiency.”
 
BCTV will run on more than 13,000 state-of-the-art flat-screen TVs integrated with the Wipro VisionEDGE solution’s centralized, cloud-based management and endpoint processing capabilities in coordination with Cisco’s simple, flexible, and secure networking products. Each bowling center will have BCTV screens deployed across the center, designed to surround the consumer and create engagement throughout the duration of their visits. The BCTV network will be distributed across 1,000 bowling centers in the U.S.
 
“This marks a transformative milestone for the bowling industry,” adds John Harbuck, President of Strike Ten Entertainment, “Technological advances have continually propelled the sport in new and exciting directions. Bowling centers hold a unique superpower- the shared experiences of millions of bowling consumers in our centers. BCTV will further enhance these experiences by delivering engaging and relevant content that will be refreshed daily and in real time.” 

The BCTV site talks about the potential scale for the network, as opposed to what’s in place since the network spun up.

Digital signage and on-premise digital is not new to bowling centers. A Southern Ontario company – ControlPlay – has marketed fee-based music and screen solutions in that environment since the mid-2000s, and the streaming platform Loop TV lists bowling centers among its target environments.