London Underground to air broadcast news as Euronews partners with Exterion Media

Passengers in 15 stations – including Camden Town, Green Park and Oxford Circus – will see local and international news reports encompassing sports, technology, weather, business and lifestyle updates.

Exterion and Transport for London are hoping the broadcasts will catch the eye of marketers too. They said that during an initial test phase, audience response will be assessed “to inform commercial opportunities for brands, such as content sponsorship and adverting alignment”.

Richard Simkins, creative solutions director at Exterion Media, said: “In our world of 24-hour content, this is an exciting industry development for taking broadcast news to the Tube. We know that Londoners are spending more time away from their homes, with four million people using the Tube every day.

“Looking ahead, we are confident about the new advertising and commercial opportunities this partnership with Euronews will unlock for advertisers.”

Chris Reader, head of commercial media at Transport for London, added: “Our new digital platform displays are one of the many ways we’re transforming our advertising estate to make it more attractive for brands and raise vital revenue that can be reinvested in modernising the transport network.”

A survey from Exterion Media’s national consumer panel work.shop.play identified a demand for news content on journeys. It showed 69% of Londoners want to see news and current affairs content while travelling through the city, with this number rising to 71% among 16-34 year olds.

It also found that users of the tube are most interested in keeping up-to-date with world news (81%), local news (74%) and the weather forecast (69%).

The deal comes as Euronews embarks on a rebrand and a revamp of its output. The overhaul, detailed in The Drum’s latest News Business column, follows Euronews selling a 25% stake to US media giant NBC for $30m.