Airport Partners announces Eye UK takeover deal
Regional airport advertising specialist Airport Partners has purchased Eye UK from the Australian TV broadcaster, Ten Network Holdings Limited.
The takeover now sees Airport Partners representing 30 airports and channelling over 100 million airport passengers.
Launched in the UK in 2006, Eye originally handled the Manchester Airport Group contract (that included Manchester, East Midlands and Bournemouth airports) and has, since then, increased its portfolio to include advertising sites at London Gatwick, Stansted and Belfast International airports.
Airport Partners, since its 2006 launch, has grown to incorporate over 20 airports, including Bristol, Exeter, Inverness, Dundee, Liverpool, Southampton, Blackpool and City of Derry airports.
Andrew Walker, CEO of Airport Partners, commented: “Eye has an excellent reputation, innovative ‘state of the art’ products and, importantly, a really great team. The combination of our two companies will create a distinctly different and commanding player within the airport advertising world. We are acquiring Eye but in every other sense our relationship is more like a merger because there aren’t many overlaps in our respective business models.”
The deal sees both companies and their respective airports benefitting for the increased impetus and sales the other will bring.
Walker adds: “For the next six months our companies will largely operate separately. Following this period, the two will merge, rebrand and be set up to maximise sales both regional and nationally, which will bring real benefit to the airports we represent and brands wishing to advertise.”