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Hidden deep underground, the tube can feel a little disconnected from the real world. But that's about to change as TfL, in partnership with Exterion Media, has announced that news will be broadcast on 60 screens across the Underground network.
Don't expect any heavy hitting broadcasts off the bat. Broadcaster Euronews will only show 'positive' stories — from a range of sports, technology, weather, business and lifestyle — with an aim to keep travellers both informed and entertained. The screens will be dotted around 15 stations, including Oxford Circus, Green Park and Camden Town.
Advertising and cash is at the heart of this move. Apparently audience response will be assessed to inform commercial opportunities for brands, such as content sponsorship. So expect to be lightly informed on some fluffy news, thanks to lots of brands. However, if it's a source of revenue that TfL can reinvest into the transport network, then it's something that Londoners are just going to have to learn to live with.
Chris Reader, Head of Commercial Media at TfL, said:
This partnership shows how advertisers can use our DX3 screens to create more memorable moments for our customers and we hope passengers enjoy this content as they travel through our stations. Our new digital platform displays are one of the many ways we're transforming our advertising estate to make it more attractive for brands and raise vital revenue that can be reinvested in modernising the transport network.
