Gail Chiasson, North American Editor
San Francisco-based DigiCast Networks, a division of Brite Media Group, has purchased RMG’s café digital signage network, referred to at RMG as its NYTimes.com Today network.
Price of the acquisition was not disclosed.
DigiCast will transition the network into its existing digital Café Network and in total will now have over 650 café locations and 2,300 total locations nationwide. DigiCast’s video Café network will now be comprised of independent coffee house locations in San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York, Chicago and Boston as well as many leading coffee house chain brands. The acquisition positions DigiCast as the clear leader in the digital out-of-home video coffee house space.
“Adding RMG’s venues into our Café digital video network allows us to increase our footprint in key metro areas,” says Chris Lanman, senior vice- president of DigiCast. “In addition, as part of Brite Media Group, our extended company is already the leader in café marketing providing coffee Ad Sleeves in many of these locations and this will provide an unparalleled opportunity for brands to complement their existing Ad Sleeve media with digital signage.”
Chuck Strottman, vice-president marketing at RMG, says that there were three serious contenders interested in buying the RMG property.
“We went with Digicast because we felt it had a greater fit with what Digicast is trying to build,” says Strottman. “They want to ramp up and become the dominant player in the field. We believe that NYTimes.com Today locations will complement Digicast’s current network assets.”
Lanman says that, as part of the DigiCast cafe network, tt will no longer be called the NYT network “and the screen content will be transitioning as well,” he says.
Asked whether its NYT network had been making money, Strottman hedged the question.
“We wanted to divest the network because, as you know, we want to focus on our travel assets,” he says.
RMG is still in the process of selling its Fitness network as well, but details are still being worked out.
DigiCast Networks is a digital media company specializing in out-of-home video and audio advertising solutions. In addition to the digital Café Network, their network consists of audio advertising at gas stations (Gas Station Radio) and banner ads in restaurants wrapped around live TV (Restaurant Network). DigiCast has built one of the largest digital OOH media networks in the country with installations at more than 2,300 exclusively contracted venues.
Brite Media Group comprises two other divisions, in addition to DigiCast, and has 150 employees in 8 nationwide offices. The Specialty Out-of-Home division includes: BriteVision (Coffee Ad Sleeve and Café Marketing), AdverTickets (Cash Jacket and Valet Ticket Advertising), GSA (Gas Station Pump Top Advertising) and Prime Point (Pay Phone Street Kiosk Advertising). BMG’s Brite Promotions division is a full service experiential marketing, live event and digital promotions agency. Brite Media Group executes 1,000’s of campaigns annually for leading brands across the country.
May 29th, 2012 at 22:49 @992
At least those Ripple and Danoo screens ought to be paid off by now (until the goodwill in the deal is applied to them by the new owners). Most of the NYT screens in my market are dark. Will be interesting to see if they get them lit again.
May 30th, 2012 at 15:10 @674
Will they include our greasy spoon restaurant that Elaine, Jerry, Kramer and I used to frequent? I can smell the corned beef hash and sunny side up eggs. Ah TV in golden age!
May 31st, 2012 at 20:30 @896
Yeah all the screens they have in the Financial District here in Manhattan have been dark for a while now. We shall see what happens…