JCDecaux SA (Euronext Paris: DEC), the number one outdoor advertising company worldwide, recently announced that its wholly-owned subsidiary JCDecaux Advertising (Shanghai) Co., Ltd., following a competitive tender, has signed the 10-year advertising contract with Tianjin Metro Resource Investment Co., Ltd., the subsidiary of Tianjin Rail Transit Group. The two parties will establish a joint venture (60% owned by JCDecaux and 40% by the Metro) for the operation and management of advertising on Lines 5 and 6 in Tianjin Metro.
This contract covers the existing media including all lightboxes and feature ads, along with new media formats to be developed in the future. The 10-year contract took effect 1 July, 2018.
Tianjin is one of the four municipalities under direct administration of the central government and also the largest coastal city in Northern China. The city has a total population of nearly 15.6 million and its GDP has reached approximately 1.86 trillion Yuan (around 234 billion euros), ranking sixth in the country.
Tianjin Rail Transit consists currently of 5 metro lines including Line 1, 2, 3, 6, and 9, with a total operation distance of 197 km and daily passenger traffic exceeding 1 million; while line 5 will open later this year. JCDecaux has operated metro media in Tianjin since 2006, with exclusive operating rights to more than 2,500 advertising panels in 22 stations of Tianjin Metro Line 1.
With over 10 years in a successful partnership, Tianijn Metro Resource Investment Co., Ltd. has gained a further understanding of JCDecaux’s international standards and comprehensive operational capabilities, based on which the new contract was signed. The professional solutions and innovative concepts provided by JCDecaux will help Tianjin achieve their development goals of building an “advanced and first class” rail transit system in China. Tianjin Metro will also seize this opportunity to create a modernised and comprehensive transportation system in Tianjin, contribute to the construction of beautiful Tianjin, and promote the safe, rapid and sustainable development of Tianjin Rail Transit.
While China became the Group’s largest market in 2017, JCDecaux operates in the main Chinese metros, including Beijing, Chongqing, Guangzhou, Hong Kong, Nanjing, Shanghai, Suzhou and Tianjin, with a total daily audience of more than 37 million passengers.
Jean-Charles Decaux, Chairman of the Executive Board and Co-Chief Executive Officer of JCDecaux, said: “The signing of the new contract reflects Tianjin Metro’s recognition on JCDecaux’s operational capability, which also indicates that the two parties have entered the next phase of collaboration in metro advertising business. It is a great honour to further extend our collaboration with Tianjin Metro Resource Investment Co., Ltd. over the next 10 years. We will maintain good communication and introduce more innovative concepts, advanced technologies, high-quality media formats and professional market operation services to Tianjin Metro, in order to create a premium media platform, optimize media options for clients and enrich travel experience for passengers.”