Branded Cities Acquires Clear Channel Outdoor Canada

Adrian J Cotterill, Editor-in-Chief

Branded Cities Network has acquired Clear Channel Outdoor’s 50.001% interest in Clear Channel Outdoor Canada – thereby becoming the 100% owner of Clear Channel Outdoor Canada.

Steve Ellman, Chairman & Chief Executive Officer of BCN told us “Assuming full ownership of Clear Channel Canada is a strategic play for our North American portfolio with the Canadian market exhibiting exciting growth prospects which will build on our successes, including the Yonge & Dundas Digital tower, Union Station and Edmonton Street Furniture”.

We founded this company in 1999 in Toronto with Clear Channel joining us as a partner in 2001. Canada continues to be a key market for BCN and this acquisition furthers our goal to offer brands the ability to dominate in large format digital advertising through iconic media in iconic locations.”

Adam Butterworth, President of Clear Channel Canada, said “Having worked for Clear Channel globally for more than two decades, I have had the pleasure of being a part of some amazing opportunities and this transaction is going to bring more exciting opportunities for Canada’s OOH industry allowing us to offer global brands a North American presence with impressive assets on both sides of the border.”

With the acquisition of Clear Channel Canada, Branded Cities is now uniquely positioned to offer brands some of the most prestigious OOH Media opportunities in Canada such as the big and iconic assets in Yonge Dundas Square, Spectaculars along Toronto’s busiest road the Gardiner Expressway, Billy Bishop Airport’s prestigious terminal, Canada’s busiest building Union Station, as well as Street Furniture Networks in Edmonton & Ottawa. The amalgamation of the two markets creates perfect strategic sense for BCN with the shared vision of expanding and growing assets as well as offering brands impactful and engaging OOH assets on both sides of the border.

Branded Cities Network, a subsidiary of EL Media, is a fully integrated, digital, spectacular signage media company. BCN’s current U.S. platform includes New York, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Las Vegas and Denver. BCN is owned by The Ellman Companies and Cantor Fitzgerald. Ellman is a privately-owned media, real estate and investments company founded in 1972 with diverse ownership interests throughout the U.S., Canada and the Caribbean. Cantor Fitzgerald is a preeminent capital markets investment bank serving more than 5,000 institutional clients around the world, recognized for its strengths in fixed income and equity capital markets, investment banking services, prime brokerage and commercial real estate financing.


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