CBS is trying to sell its CBS Outdoor out of home business outside the US (in the US it’s been changed into a real estate investment trust) and US company VeriFone is tipped as a likely bidder.
VeriFone claims to the world leader in point of sale payment systems and already work in partnership with a number of out of home media owners attracted by the ability to point a smartphone at a digital poster and make a purchase.
VeriFone has dipped a toe in the media owner waters with the purchase of Taxi Media in the UK and has recently been hiring a number of seasoned OOH specialists including Becky Clegg, Kam Jhuti and Andy Bradshaw, who have worked at big outdoor companies including CBS.
Such a digital network has clear attractions for VeriFone however with its ability to generate immediate revenue from ‘smart’ poster sites.