Viacom Snatches Mersey Rail Contract From Maiden

Viacom Outdoor has secured the lucrative £3 million contract to sell advertising on train operating company, Mersey Rail, following a competitive pitch against rival, Maiden Outdoor.

The win comes less than two months after Viacom Outdoor snatched the seven-year GNER sales contract from Maiden, in a move that brought an end to its rival’s monopoly of the 26 outdoor media contracts in the UK’s railway stations (see Viacom Outdoor Swipes GNER Contract From Maiden).

It is understood that the two rival outdoor companies are in the process of bidding for a number of contracts up for pitch, including Connex and Chiltern Railways. Maiden Outdoor recently retained the lucrative National Express rail franchise.

The new deal will see Viacom take-over the running of Liverpool-based Mersey Rail from the beginning of April. The train company currently operates around 67 stations and a network of five underground stations in the Merseyside area.

Commenting on the deal, Andrew Oldham, joint managing director of Viacom Outdoor, said: “The addition of the Merseyrail contract to our mainline rail portfolio is great news. When combined with the GNER and Central Trains in-carriage contract wins pre-Christmas, it further demonstrates our commitment to growing the rail advertising industry and bringing new thinking to the sector.

Viacom Outdoor recently completed its national sales line-up with the appointment of Simon Mead as its new head of agency sales. Mead leads two teams responsible for pitching new ideas and creative solutions to agencies (see Viacom Outdoor Appoints New Head Of Agency Sales).

Viacom Outdoor: 020 7482 3000 www.viacom-outdoor.co.uk

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