Retail shopping centre business Lendlease has ended its outdoor representation deal with Foxtel sales house MCN only months after a deal was signed, AdNews can reveal.
The end of the deal comes only months after the reported contract between the two that would allow MCN to represent 18 audio enabled digital screens across 11 Lendlease-managed shopping centres.
The deal would also see Lendlease’s premium national digital screen network join the MCN OOH network, which it rebranded from TV-OOH.
Lendlease general manager pop up and commercialisation Sally Harding confirmed the decision to AdNews.
"Lendlease continues to enjoy a strong partnership with oOh!media. We can confirm that we are in the process of expanding our partnership across a number of formats, in 10 Lendlease-managed shopping centres around Australia," she says.
The account included sites across both metro and regional Australia, with the account previously held by major OOH player, Ooh!Media.
As part of the partnership, MCN was expected to represent advertising opportunities for Lendlease’s transparent LED mesh screen technology launched in November 2018.
Ooh! has since had the account handed back to them following a breakdown in the relationship between MCN and Lendlease.
"While, as is always the case with commercial discussions, we will not provide detail on conversations that may or may not be taking place around specific contracts," an Ooh!Media spokesperson told AdNews.
"We can however confirm that Ooh! and Lendlease are currently in discussions around the advertising sales relationship between the two parties."
Sources close to AdNews say MCN CEO Mark Frain informed staff earlier this week that the business would not be going ahead with its plans to ramp up its investment in its digital screen business in 2019.
"MCN and Lendlease have mutually decided not to pursue our partnership due to a number of operational factors on both sides," an MCN spokesperson told AdNews.
AdNews previously spoke with MCN regarding its position in the OOH market.
MCN appointed Daniella Serhan as partnerships director to lead the company's partnerships team and ensure the delivery of strategic campaigns with channel partners and advertisers back in April.
Serhan was placed in charge of the Lendlease team.
Most recently, MCN appointed former Adshel sales boss David Roddick as the businesses newest chief sales officer.
Roddick joined the business following the departure of former chief sales officer Nick Young, who left the Foxtel sales house to join Nine earlier this year.
Roddick had spent the last five years as sales and marketing director at out of home media owner Adshel, which became part of oOh! Media at the end of 2018. He was expected to lead the growth in MCN's outdoor business.
Have something to say on this? Share your views in the comments section below. Or if you have a news story or tip-off, drop us a line at adnews@yaffa.com.au
Sign up to the AdNews newsletter, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter for breaking stories and campaigns throughout the day.