• by Erik Sass , Staff Writer @eriksass1, August 10, 2012

The digital out-of-home space is growing fast, and retail-based networks may be the fastest-growing part of it, judging by the number of deals in recent weeks.

Last week Premier Retail Networks announced it renewed its partnership with Costco with a multi-year agreement that includes the rollout of new products as well as infrastructure upgrades. Under the terms of the partnership, PRN will install a new 3D channel on Costco’s HDTV network, which PRN is upgrading to support more media formats and better performance. The upgraded channel will be especially well-suited to showcasing consumer electronics, according to the companies. PRN’s Costco network operates in around 400 Costco warehouses in the U.S., reaching over 45 million members per month, according to a Nielsen study from 2010.

Meanwhile Adcentricity announced that it has acquired Media 2 Go, a company specializing in WiFi and Bluetooth-based mobile marketing technology -- which has wide applications in place-based marketing, including retail. The company’s technology will power a new Adcentricity offering called ADAir, which allows advertisers to integrate mobile marketing into DOOH campaigns executed with Adcentricity, including localized events and activities. Consumers who opt in using WFi or Bluetooth can receive coupons and ads on their phones while they shop; of course, mobile integration also allows advertisers to get a better handle on ROI for DOOH campaigns, by registering consumer interest in ads.

Also last week, Adspace, which operates a network of place-based media reaching mall shoppers, announced its acquisition of Mallvision from Access Sports Media (formerly Access 360 Media) -- boosting its reach in key DMAs around the country. The acquisition of Mallvision makes Adspace the exclusive ad sales representative for Simon Property Group’s OnSpot Digital Network, reaching 47 Simon malls as well as 17 other malls. The deal thus increases Adspace’s total mall count from 141 to 205, with a total of 2,864 digital displays reaching around 48 million individual shoppers per month nationwide.