Viacom takes over sales for London bus TV screens

Viacom Outdoor is taking over as the sales house for on-bus screen network CrystalEyes, in an effort to boost the network’s revenue and attract global brands to the medium.

Viacom Outdoor is taking over as the sales house for on-bus screen network CrystalEyes, in an effort to boost the network’s revenue and attract global brands to the medium. Viacom’s focus on the medium comes as Berkshire-based CrystalEyes steps up its presence in the capital. It has screens on 320 London buses but plans to increase this to 1,000 by next April. It also has screens on 200 buses in the West Midlands.

Since 2001, Viacom – which holds the contract for all London bus advertising – has sub-contracted Media Initiatives Group to sell television-style ads on buses.

CrystalEyes business development director and co-founder Russell MacDonald says he hopes that bringing in Viacom in a direct sales capacity will help to attract more national advertisers. To support the advertising push, the company is planning to improve the quality of content that is shown on the screens and is in talks with a production company.

CrystalEyes was launched four years ago, but this is the company’s first major expansion drive. MacDonald says the intention was to start small with a long trial period to allow the company to test the logistics of the medium and the technology.

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