Channel M acquires ScreenPlay

According to this MediaPost article, digital signage network owner Channel M has acquired content producer ScreenPlay. Under the arrangement, ScreenPlay will be the exclusive content provider to Channel M, and since there's little overlap of the two firm's capabilities and clients, nobody is expected to lose their job (the total head count is expected to be around 60).

Acquiring a content creation house to bolster your internal ad sales or network deployment skills seems to be something of a trend now, though to their credit the folks at ScreenPlay have been involved in a number of digital signage projects over the years as well. While being owned by a network might limit ScreenPlay's ability to attract other (potentially competing) digital signage clients, it may also be that the additional expertise they gain gives them an advantage in the marketplace. As for Channel M, they must feel that it will be somehow cheaper or better to pay another 30 people than keep outsourcing their content production.

Tags: digital signage, out-of-home advertising, retail media, in-store TV