• by Erik Sass  @eriksass1, November 3, 2010

Reach Media Group has unveiled plans to create a new place-based digital video network in cooperation with Harrah's Entertainment, the nation's largest casino operator.

The partners' planned Hospitality Entertainment Network will consist of 50,000 screens in high-traffic areas with long dwell times across a number of Harrah's properties, including gaming floors, hotel rooms and other spaces in the Caesars Palace, Harrah's, Horseshoe and Planet Hollywood resorts.

RMG said it hopes to expand the network to cover 75,000 screens by the end of 2011.

Under the terms of their agreement, RMG will assume ad sales responsibilities for the Hospitality Entertainment Network, which will include interactive touchscreen systems as well as offering advertisers the ability to deliver geotargeted mobile display ads and mobile coupons.

The place-based network will also let advertisers tie in mobile and online loyalty programs, which are already operated by Harrah's on behalf of major brands. Harrah's began offering mobile coupons in November 2008.

The addition of 75,000 screens by the end of next year would represent a significant expansion of the RMG network, which currently stands at 190,000 screens reaching more than 60 million viewers per month. The Hospitality Entertainment Network will be the sixth such place-based network operated by RMG; the company's other networks reach consumers in fitness centers, cafes, eateries, colleges, doctor's offices, pharmacy locations, airplanes and taxis.

Like other big casino chains, Harrah's has seen revenues decline as consumers reined in discretionary spending during the economic downturn, leading the company to seek supplemental revenue streams.

The company's total revenues declined 17.6% from $10.8 billion in 2007 to $8.9 billion in 2009. In the first half of 2010, total revenues came to $4.4 billion, down 2.3% from $4.5 billion in the first half of 2009.

Also this week, Haivision announced that it acquired the assets of CS Software Holdings, including the CoolSign product technology, which provides software solutions for digital signage deployments. The CoolSign acquisition allows Haivision to deliver digital video securely to any desktop, display, digital frame and mobile device.