Ocean Outdoor turns sports broadcaster in Rugby World Cup partnership with ITV

Out of Home is becoming an all-singing and dancing medium in the digital age and UK digital specialist Ocean Outdoor seems to be becoming a sports broadcaster as well, using its giant screens including London’s Piccadilly Lights.

Already this year Ocean has broadcast live horse racing, Formula E racing and live tennis coverage from Wimbledon in partnership with the All England Lawn Tennis Club, the BBC and Wimbledon sponsor Jaguar.

Now it’s signed an exclusive deal with ITV sport to broadcast highlights from the forthcoming Rugby World Cup in Japan on multiple large format screens in six UK cities. 60-second clips will appear throughout the World Cup, starting with Japan against Russia on September 20 and concluding with the final on November 2.

Ocean head of content and sponsorship Kevin Henry says: “Ocean’s latest partnership with ITV enhances our live and sports highlights DOOH coverage, giving fans and audiences unprecedented access to the action as it happens, and live coverage of England’s fourth Pool C match with France.”

The Rugby World Cup has also proved a bonanza for ITV, which has broadcast each tournament so far. Even though the UK is teetering on the brink of recession, media agencies are expecting a rush of business as advertisers target its upscale audience.