The UK-founded OoH investor Wildstone has added nine premium billboard faces across Melbourne, strengthening its position in the Australian market.
With its business model, Wildstone challenges the approach of most legacy OoH media owners: Rather than running networks themselves, Wildstone invests in OoH infrastructure and rents it to operators. The company also acquires static billboards and converts them to digital, helping accelerate DooH’s growth worldwide. Since launching in Germany last year and Australia this year, Wildstone has rapidly expanded its asset base beyond the UK.
The latest acquisition, from High Street Media, covers six structures in metropolitan Melbourne, including four supersites along major arterial roads such as the South Gippsland, Frankston, and Princess Freeways. Two additional sites are located on the Metropolitan and Western Ring Roads. The package includes three double-sided digital and static structures, as well as three single-sided digital screens.
All of the new billboards are tied to long-term agreements with established operators. ASX-listed OOH! Media will manage five of the sites, while Civic Outdoor will run the sixth.
For Wildstone, the deal expands its Australian portfolio to 71 assets – comprising 44 static and 27 digital assets – since entering the market in May 2024. Globally, the company now owns more than 5,400 billboard sites.
Noel Cook, Managing Director of Wildstone Australia, said the pace of growth reflects strong demand for the firm’s long-term ownership model. “Reaching 71 billboard assets in just over a year reflects the strength of our approach and the response from billboard owners and landlords looking for long-term value. We remain focused on further acquisitions in both metropolitan and regional markets,” he said.