Another gas station digital signage network comes online

Everybody and their brother is talking about this press release from Gas Station TV, a company which, obviously enough, installs screens at gas stations. While they're not the first to enter this market, they seem to be doing it in quite a big way. Here's a clip from their release:

Gas Station TV (GSTV) today formally launches its digital television network which will convert fuel stations nationwide into media centers. An IP-based digital television network, GSTV will deliver relevant and entertaining programming including local news, sports, weather and traffic to refueling motorists. The GSTV network will air on 20" high-definition, daylight viewable LCD monitors embedded into gas dispensers.

GSTV has formed pre-eminent partnerships with ABC National Television Sales (a division of the Walt Disney Company), which will provide exclusive national sales representation for the network featuring select ABC content; Murphy Oil USA, Inc., the leader in the growing U.S. market of gasoline sales at non-traditional locations with 900 stations located in Wal-Mart parking lots; Gilbarco Veeder-Root (Gilbarco), the world's largest manufacturer of gas retailer equipment and technology; and Delphi Display Systems, the market leading provider of outdoor digital video display systems.

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STV has also entered into a strategic alliance with Gilbarco Veeder-Root to embed the 20" LCD monitors with stereo sound that carry GSTV into its gas pumps at participating stations. The GSTV system will not only be embedded into new fueling dispensers, it can also be retrofitted into any Gilbarco pump. Through an exclusive co-marketing agreement, the GSTV system will be marketed through the Gilbarco sales force and made available to Gilbarco's high-volume gas retail customers. The partnerships with ABC for content and advertising sales, and the alliance with Gilbarco enable GSTV to provide the equipment and service at no charge to the retailer.

Ok, there were two very important parts there: the partnership with ABC to sell advertising, and the partnerships with Gilbarco and Veeder-Root (both pump and station management equipment manufacturers). The former gives the network credibility, content, and a sales network that a startup simply couldn't match. The latter turns this "network" into a re-sellable product that can be installed in other locations. While I'd think that this would be limited only to unaffiliated locations right now (e.g. I don't think Exxon-Mobil would let its franchisees arbitrarily install these devices without corporate approval), that's still a pretty hefty market.