Out-of-home infrastructure player Wildstone, based in the Uk and Europe, has acquired Total Outdoor Media’s (TOM) full portfolio of regional billboards.
The deal includes 14 digital and 38 classic sites, positioning Wildstone as one of Victoria's largest outdoor media asset owners.
Commercial details of the acquisition had not been revealed.
The acquisition is Wildstone’s second deal in Australia since its launch last year, following an October sale-and-leaseback agreement with Alliance Outdoor Media Group. That deal funded two new digital sites, with Wildstone leasing them back to the operator, which retains media sales management.
With the TOM portfolio, Wildstone will take full ownership of the assets and enter into new partnerships with media operators interested in managing advertising for the sites.
Noel Cook, managing director for Wildstone Australia, said the deal enables regional centres to take further advantage of digitisation.
"We will continue to support media operators and look for further opportunities in regional areas, as well as also being very much open to metro locations," he said.
"We see the value in having billboard inventory across a diverse range of Australia markets and this acquisition is just the beginning, with more exciting announcements on the horizon as the company continues to expand its footprint."
Ged Hart, managing director at TOM, said the strong demand from advertisers underscores the growing importance of regional out-of-home media.
"With Wildstone’s vision and expertise, we’re confident these sites will continue to thrive, unlocking even greater opportunities for advertisers in key regional markets," he said.
Wildstone’s Australian expansion is part of its broader international growth strategy. The company also announced acquisitions in Germany and Spain, adding to its portfolio of more than 5,400 billboards across six countries.
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