BesTV and Tenthavenue join forces on digital OOH in China

BesTV, a unit of the Shanghai Media Group, is an IPTV (internet protocol television) operator in China. It is aiming to take advantage of the "exponential expansion" of the OOH market, on the back of the development of 4G mobile internet and the continued urbanisation of China, according to Zhang Dazhong, vice president of Shanghai Media Group.

The newly established Bestenth will focus on transit media including public buses, ferries, metros, trains and airlines. Li Feng, previously VP of sales at BesTV, is the new CEO.

Bestenth has started to construct 300 (1,500 by end of year) high-definition LED interactive screens, that are 55 inches in size each, in public bus shelters in Shanghai's Puxi area. Location-based services and augmented-reality technology will enhance the user experience.

"By breaking out of the single OOH advertising format of a billboard, we [want to] provide a range of creative options for brands,” said Li, who predicted that digital OOH may reach US$16 billion (RMB100 billion) in value within the next few years.

WPP subsidiary Tenthavenue already specialises in the areas of global in-flight entertainment service, OOH media advertising, mobile marketing and digital publishing, but has not had much reach in China until its recent Wisereach acquisition and subsequent MJoule launch.

In 2013, BesTV formed joint ventures with Microsoft and Disney to develop gaming and paid-video content businesses in China. Rupert Day, CEO of Tenthavenue, described BesTV as the "stock market’s largest and most energetic new media company in China”.