Dentsu Inc. Acquires UK Digital OOH Specialist Live Posters as Wholly Owned Subsidiary

Dentsu Inc.'s overseas headquarters, Dentsu Aegis Network, announced on May 6 that it has reached an agreement with shareholders of Liveposter Limited, a UK-based digital OOH (out-of-home/transport advertising) specialist, to acquire an additional 77.2% of its shares. As Dentsu Inc. already holds 22.8% of the company's shares, this agreement will make Liveposter a wholly-owned subsidiary.

Founded in 2012, Liveposter is an advertising company specializing in digital OOH. It has previously partnered with Posterscope, one of the nine global network brands within the Dentsu Group specializing in OOH advertising. Liveposter delivers content in real-time to digital signage worldwide through its network of partner digital signage companies in various countries. Its key feature is owning the digital OOH delivery tool "Liveposter," which can simultaneously generate tens of thousands of creative variations by linking with third-party data such as weather, public transportation arrival/departure times, sports event scores, and social media post data. Japan joined this network in January of this year.

The share of digital OOH advertising within the global OOH advertising market continues to rise, with projections suggesting it could reach 40% by 2019. The UK is expected to have a higher ratio, reaching 54%.

Given this situation, the Dentsu Group has decided to make Liveposter a wholly-owned subsidiary and accelerate its global expansion. The Group aims to create synergies by strengthening collaboration with its various companies, including Posterscope, which operates worldwide.

[Liveposter Limited Overview]
Company Name: Liveposter Limited
Headquarters: London, UK
Established: March 2012
Shareholder Structure: After share acquisition, Dentsu Inc. Aegis Network: 100%
Revenue: £1.55 million (approx. ¥240 million) (fiscal year ended December 2015)
Representative:
Daniel Douglas (Chairman)
Steven Pavett (Technical Director)
Kevin Holloway (Managing Director)
Number of Employees: 23
Business Description: Providing comprehensive digital OOH advertising services

Dentsu Inc. News Release
http://www.dentsu.co.jp/news/release/2016/0506-008751.html