Wildstone to digitise Sydney Olympic Park billboards

Wildstone has secured the rights to Sydney Olympic Park's outdoor media portfolio, covering seven billboard locations across the precinct.

It plans to invest more than AUD $4 million to upgrade the sites, digitising all seven static billboards. Several structures will also be moved to new positions on major roads and at key entry points to Sydney Olympic Park.

Alliance Outdoor Media Group will operate the existing static portfolio when the contract begins. The arrangement starts with the current network before the planned upgrades are completed.

The agreement gives Wildstone control of outdoor advertising sites in one of Sydney's best-known sporting and entertainment precincts. The area is also being reshaped under the New South Wales Government's Master Plan 2050, which outlines a major expansion of housing and employment.

Under the plan, up to 15,000 homes and 26,000 jobs are expected to be created as the precinct develops into a larger mixed-use district. Transport investment, including the Sydney Metro West project, is also expected to increase traffic through the area.

Portfolio upgrade

The upgrade will focus on the quality, positioning and visibility of the seven billboard locations. Moving from static to digital screens will change the format of the portfolio and expand the advertising inventory available across the precinct.

Wildstone describes itself as the world's largest owner of outdoor media assets. Its broader portfolio includes more than 5,700 out-of-home advertising assets across Europe and Australia, including digital screens, traditional billboards and large-format digital sites.

Outdoor media owners and operators have increasingly focused on transport corridors, arterial roads and urban regeneration zones as advertisers seek access to large moving audiences. In that context, Sydney Olympic Park offers a mix of event-driven footfall, commuter traffic and a growing residential base.

Noel Cook outlined Wildstone's view of the area's growth trajectory.

"Sydney Olympic Park is becoming one of Sydney's major live-work destinations, with tens of thousands of people set to call it home. We're putting more than $4 million into building a network of premium digital assets that matches where the precinct is heading. We've already had strong interest from both major media operators and independents - exactly the kind of industry-wide support we want behind this network," said Noel Cook, Managing Director - Australia, Wildstone.

Wildstone said it had already received interest from both major media operators and independent players, indicating it is positioning the Sydney Olympic Park estate as a network that could support multiple advertising buyers and operating models once the upgraded inventory comes to market.

Long-term view

Mitch Cook said the investment had been planned over a multi-decade horizon as the precinct evolves.

"We're investing with the next 20 to 30 years in mind, building a digital network that can evolve alongside Sydney Olympic Park. A location of this calibre deserves infrastructure to match, and our ambition is to ensure the network keeps pace with the precinct's growth," said Cook.

The project also reflects a broader out-of-home trend towards digitising roadside and large-format assets. Digital billboards can carry multiple advertisers in rotation and be updated remotely, making them a focus for site owners seeking to increase returns from established locations.

At Sydney Olympic Park, the portfolio sits at the intersection of sport, entertainment, transport and urban development. As the precinct adds residents, workers and visitors, routes into and through the area are likely to become more important for advertisers seeking exposure on key approaches to western and central Sydney.

Wildstone buys and rents property sites for outdoor advertising and works with media operators on new locations and digitisation projects. In Australia, the Sydney Olympic Park portfolio is a notable addition to its estate, anchored by seven sites on some of the precinct's main approaches.