Wildstone acquires Total Outdoor Media (TOM)

Wildstone is set to become one of Victoria's biggest outdoor media asset owners after agreeing to buy Total Outdoor Media’s (TOM) entire portfolio of regional billboards. The deal marks Wildstone’s first Australian full-ownership portfolio acquisition and includes 14 digital and 38 classic sites.

The acquisition is the second agreement the company has struck in Australia since launching in the country last year. In October, it agreed to a sale-and-leaseback deal to fund two new digital sites for Alliance Outdoor Media Group. Under the terms of that agreement, Wildstone leases the sites back to the operator, which continues to manage media sales.

“We’re thrilled to have completed our first acquisition in the Australian market and especially pleased to have secured such a strong regional portfolio. Through this deal, we are enabling regional centres to take advantage of digitisation as we know the regional audience is a growing and critical part of many outdoor campaigns,” says Noel Cook, Managing Director for Wildstone Australia.

Wildstone says the TOM acquisition reinforces its commitment to supporting media operators and billboard owners by providing capital in a flexible way to support their goals, whether the digitisation of sites or a market exit. The company will enter into new partnerships with media operators interested in managing site advertising.  

It also underscores the company’s commitment to providing high-quality, revenue-generating sites in key locations. The TOM portfolio includes several prime regional sites, including boards in Ballarat, Bendigo, Geelong, Shepparton, and Wangaratta.

Cook adds, “We will continue to support media operators and look for further opportunities in regional areas, as well as being very much open to metro locations. We see the value in having billboard inventory across a diverse range of Australian markets, and this acquisition is just the beginning, with more exciting announcements on the horizon as the company continues to expand its footprint,”

“We’re delighted to have reached this agreement with Wildstone Australia and are incredibly proud of the premium regional assets TOM has built in Victoria. The strong demand from advertisers underscores the growing importance of regional out-of-home media. With Wildstone’s vision and expertise, we’re confident these sites will continue to thrive, unlocking even greater opportunities for advertisers in key regional markets,” says Ged Hart, Managing Director at TOM.

Wildstone’s Australian expansion forms part of the company’s broader strategy for international growth. In addition to the Australian acquisition, the business recently announced new acquisitions in Germany and Spain. These add to its portfolio of over 5,400 billboards in six countries.