• by Joe Mandese  @mp_joemandese, June 6, 2018

Screenvision Media, one of two big networks dominating the U.S. cinema advertising marketplace, has agreed to sell a controlling share to private equity firm Abry Partners. Existing owners, Shamrock Capital and AMC Entertainment, will retain minority stakes.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but it follows an earlier failed attempted merger with chief rival National CineMedia to roll up the cinema ad marketplace in the U.S. That deal was ultimately blocked by the U.S. Department of Justice due to antitrust concerns.

According to Zenith Media estimates, cinema ads currently represent about 0.7% of the global ad marketplace, and are expected to reach 1.0% by 2020.