Wildstone partners with oOh!media, Gawk Outdoor for VIC billboards

Wildstone has signed agreements with oOh!media and Gawk Outdoor to operate advertising for its portfolio of 52 acquired sites in regional Victoria formerly owned by Total Outdoor Media (TOM).

The sites, which include 14 digital and 38 classic billboards, cover several key regional locations, such as Ballarat, Bendigo, Geelong, Shepparton and Wangaratta. The TOM portfolio represents Wildstone's first acquisition in Australia and aligns with the company's strategy to expand its presence in the local market by replicating its position in the UK outdoor advertising infrastructure sector.

oOh!media is currently Australia's largest operator of out-of-home (OOH) advertising by revenue, while Gawk Outdoor holds a prominent share of the regional Victoria market. The agreements with the two media operators will extend across all 52 acquired sites and are set to be long-term partnerships under Wildstone's owner-operator model.

Wildstone, which holds more than 5,400 OOH assets globally, focuses on ownership of billboard infrastructure and collaborates with media operators who manage the advertising display and sales functions. The company seeks to drive growth both for its assets and the broader outdoor advertising industry by partnering with established and emerging media players.

Noel Cook, Managing Director for Wildstone Australia, said, "We're thrilled to have finalised agreements with oOh!media, Australia's No. 1 OOH operator, and Gawk Outdoor, a company that is rapidly gaining regional market share. This is a major step forward following our largest Australian acquisition to date. We are excited to see the TOM OOH portfolio continuing to thrive, delivering value for advertisers and communities across the country."

Robbie Dery, Chief Commercial Operating Officer at oOh!media, said, "Regional out of home is an important part of oOh!'s business, and the addition of the premium digital and classic sites in Victoria's largest regional centres via our relationship with Wildstone means oOh! continues to extend into key growth areas that further enhance and expand our national footprint."

Luke Course, Director and Co-founder of Gawk Outdoor, said, "We are extremely excited to add such a large number of premium sites in regional VIC into our inventory. We were able to work closely with Wildstone to get this transaction completed, with both parties pulling in the same direction. This was a great opportunity to grow our business by a significant percentage without any capital investment."

The TOM portfolio purchase, announced in March, included prominent sites that had previously formed the basis of Total Outdoor Media's regional billboard network. Wildstone's acquisition and subsequent operator agreements signal the company's ambition to establish a substantial foothold in Australia's outdoor advertising landscape.

Wildstone operates on a model that separates asset ownership from advertising operations, allowing media companies such as oOh!media and Gawk Outdoor to focus on campaign delivery for advertisers while Wildstone manages and invests in the infrastructure itself. This approach has allowed the company to expand its network rapidly, leveraging the strengths of its operating partners in their respective regions.

With these agreements, both oOh!media and Gawk Outdoor will now manage advertising content and sales for the sites. The arrangement provides advertisers with access to a wider array of digital and classic billboard inventory across regional Victoria, including coverage in the area's most populous centres.

The partnerships are intended to bring mutual benefits, with Wildstone supporting the digitisation and maintenance of the sites while allowing its operator partners to pursue advertising opportunities and revenue growth. The company has indicated that it remains open to working with both well-established and newer industry participants as it continues its expansion in Australia and beyond.