CEN Media Group
CEN Media Group operates a 1,800+ screen digital out-of-home advertising network across 81 U.S. markets, placed in cinema lobbies, restaurants, bars, and retail venues. It sells DOOH advertising and managed digital signage to brands, Hollywood studios, theater operators, and retail customers like IKEA.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2019
- HeadquartersJersey City, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What CEN Media Group does
CEN Media Group is a privately held, founder-led digital out-of-home (DOOH) advertising network founded in 2019 by Kevin Romano and headquartered at 1411 Broadway, New York. The company operates more than 1,800 digital screens across 81 U.S. markets, placed inside cinema lobbies, box offices, concession areas, restaurants, bars, and adjacent retail venues, with anchor venue relationships including Emagine Entertainment, National Amusements/Showcase Cinemas, CMX Cinemas, TCL Chinese Theatres, Studio Movie Grill, B&B Theatres, MJR Digital Cinemas, and iPIC Theaters, plus a retail deployment with IKEA. The core platform is a next-generation DOOH advertising network that monetizes a captive, high-dwell moviegoing audience (15–60 minutes of lobby exposure), supported by a portfolio of in-house hardware modules (Tri Tune, Hero Wall, Mini Hero Wall, Village Wall, Digital Poster, Digital Standee, Interactive Displays, Box Office Displays, and Digital Menu Boards) and a service layer spanning content management, institutional signage for cinemas/restaurants, and retail digital signage.
The underlying technology stack combines interactive hardware (touch, gesture, AR, photo booth, Bluetooth/WiFi sensing) with an audience analytics layer built on Anonymous Video Analytics (AVA) and AdMobilize computer vision, integrated through the Ayuda campaign management platform for granular per-ad exposure reporting. Programmatically, CEN's inventory became accessible in January 2025 through a partnership with Screenverse on Vistar, Place Exchange, Broadsign, and Hivestack, with the company explicitly targeting a doubling of programmatic sales; this sits alongside a direct enterprise sales motion, a self-serve booking portal, and SharePoint-hosted local market media kits targeting SMB advertisers.
CEN makes money through three primary revenue streams: (1) DOOH advertising sales to major brands, Hollywood studios, and local/regional advertisers, both direct and programmatic, on its owned screen network; (2) institutional digital signage solutions — including digital menu boards, automated digital box office systems, and wayfinding/self-service kiosks — sold to theater and restaurant operators as managed infrastructure; and (3) retail digital signage solutions including in-store displays, self-service kiosks, and end caps sold to retail brands. Pricing is quote-based for direct enterprise sales and auction/usage-based for programmatic; multi-year contracts are used for marquee enterprise advertisers while self-serve and local-market media kits support SMB and long-tail demand. The company employs 11–50 staff, is not venture- or private-equity-backed per available sources, and operates through related legal entities (CEN Media Group Direct, Inc.; CEN Media Group Exhibition, Inc.; CEN Media Group, LLC).
CEN Media Group firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- CEN Media Group
- Legal name
- CEN Media Group Direct, Inc. and CEN Media Group Exhibition, Inc. (collectively "CEN Media Group Media"), with CEN Media Group, LLC referenced as a related entity in the Privacy Policy.
- Website
- https://cenmediagroup.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2019
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- CEN Media Group operates a 1,800+ screen digital out-of-home advertising network across 81 U.S. markets, placed in cinema lobbies, restaurants, bars, and retail venues. It sells DOOH advertising and managed digital signage to brands, Hollywood studios, theater operators, and retail customers like IKEA.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
CEN Media Group industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Digital Out-of-Home (DOOH) Advertising
- NAICS
- Media Buying Agencies (541830), Indoor and Outdoor Display Advertising (541850)
- SIC
- Television Broadcasting Stations (4833)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Digital Out-of-Home (DOOH) Advertising (MPAAAKAB)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Digital Out-of-Home (DOOH) Screens & Networks (BPAFALAB)
Keywords
Where CEN Media Group is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Jersey City
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
CEN Media Group business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Infrastructure, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- DOOH Advertising Sales (Direct & Programmatic): CEN sells advertising on its network of 1,800+ digital screens across 81 U.S. markets placed in theater lobbies, concessions, box offices, restaurants, and bars. Revenue is generated via direct sales to brands/movie studios and programmatic transactions across Vistar, Place Exchange, Broadsign, and Hivestack.
- Institutional Digital Signage Solutions: Sale/installation of digital menu boards, digital box office systems, and wayfinding solutions to theater and restaurant operators as a managed infrastructure service.
- Retail Digital Signage Solutions: Custom retail display solutions including digital displays, self-service kiosks, and end caps sold to retail brands to elevate in-store guest experience.
- Content Management & Campaign Services: Recurring campaign management, scheduling services, and digital signage consulting sold alongside display placements.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Usage-based | Pay-as-you-go | Programmatic DOOH — quote/auction based via SSPs |
| Other | Multi-year contract | Direct/enterprise ad sales — quote-based |
Go-to-market motion4 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels7 records
CEN Media Group product offering
Product offeringCore offering
CEN Media Group operates a next-generation digital out-of-home (DOOH) advertising network spanning more than 1,800 digital screens across 81 U.S. markets placed in movie theater lobbies, concessions, box offices, restaurants, bars, and retail venues. The company sells DOOH advertising inventory to brands and Hollywood studios both directly and programmatically (via Vistar, Place Exchange, Broadsign, Hivestack through the Screenverse partnership), and provides hardware display modules, digital box office systems, dynamic menu boards, interactive kiosks, and content management services to theater, restaurant, and retail operators.
Product overview
CEN Media Group operates a platform-plus-modules architecture delivering a next-generation digital out-of-home (DOOH) advertising network. The core platform is the CEN Media Group DOOH Advertising Network, spanning more than 1,800 programmatically accessible screens across 81 U.S. markets in cinema lobbies, restaurants, and retail venues. Layered on top of this network is a portfolio of hardware display modules - Tri Tune, Hero Wall, Mini Hero Wall, Village Wall, Digital Poster, Digital Standee, Interactive Displays, Digital Displays, Box Office Displays, and Menu Boards - deployed per location based on traffic patterns and use case. Service modules wrap the network: Content Management (scheduling and consulting), Institutional Digital Signage (theatre/cinema menu boards, box office, show schedules), Retail Digital Signage (interactive wayfinding, self-service and self-order kiosks, end caps), and Programmatic DOOH Advertising (enabled through the Screenverse partnership and exposed on Vistar, Place Exchange, Broadsign, and Hivestack). The portfolio is unified by a computer-vision-driven analytics layer (Anonymous Video Analytics and AdMobilize-powered audience measurement) that delivers real-time demographic and engagement data to advertisers, theatre owners, and brand partners.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- FandC Digital: Referenced as a co-operated site (www.fandcdigital.com) under the same Terms of Use as cenmediagroup.com.
Products and services
- CEN Media Group DOOH Advertising Network The core next-generation digital out-of-home advertising platform connecting major brands and Hollywood studios with consumers across more than 1,800 programmatically accessible screens in 81 U.S. markets, deployed in cinema lobbies, restaurant and bar areas, concession stands, box offices, and retail spaces.
- Programmatic DOOH Advertising Self-serve and programmatic buying of CEN's cinema DOOH inventory via the dooh.cenmediagroup.com login portal and through Screenverse on major DOOH SSPs and exchanges, with audience-based and geospatial targeting.
- Institutional Digital Signage (Theatre / Cinema)
Quantifiable outcome
- 1,800+ programmatically accessible screens across 81 U.S. markets
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use CEN Media Group
Customer profileNamed customers17 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
CEN Media Group technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration8 records
AI capability5 records
Feature7 records
CEN Media Group partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
16 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.
- ScreenverseflagshipPartnership announced January 25, 2025 to propel CEN Media Group's programmatic DOOH advertising capabilities across cinema screens. Screenverse provides sales force, trading-desk relationships, and programmatic demand facilitation. CEN's 1,800+ screens across 81 U.S. markets are now accessible via Screenverse on Vistar, Place Exchange, Broadsign, and Hivestack. CEN expects to double its already strong programmatic sales.
- Screenvision MediacorePremier cinema, video, and media organization that curates storytelling for brands, exhibitors, and audiences at movie theatres nationwide. Partnered with CEN for technology-forward media solutions across the moviegoing experience.
- AdMobilizecoreGlobal leader in AI and audience measurement for DOOH networks. Provides real-time audience data via computer vision (anonymous face detection, vehicle recognition, crowd analytics) integrated with Ayuda to deliver granular per-ad reporting.
- OAAA (Outdoor Advertising Association of America)minorLead trade association representing the U.S. outdoor advertising industry (founded 1891). CEN is a member/affiliate for industry advocacy and standards. The Digital Place-based Advertising Association (DPAA) is referenced as the related trade body for digital place-based networks.
- Ayuda Media SystemscoreFounded in 2003 with 100+ employees across three offices and four satellites serving the Americas, APAC, and EMEA. The Ayuda Platform manages millions of billboards across six continents and integrates AdMobilize analytics for audience reporting.
- GeopathcoreNot-for-profit organization (established 1933, originally the Traffic Audit Bureau) governed by a tripartite board of advertisers, agencies, and media companies. Provides audience location measurement, consumer insight, and OOH market research for CEN's network.
- DOOHA (Digital Out of Home Advertising)minorIndustry education body equipping digital marketers and media sellers to understand the digital and programmatic out-of-home media industry. CEN listed as a partner organization.
- Horizon MediacoreGlobal, data-driven media and marketing agency founded in 1989, headquartered in New York with offices in Los Angeles and Toronto. Named U.S. Media Agency of the Year by Adweek and AdAge. Listed as a CEN partner.
- Vistar MediacoreGeospatial technology company providing audience-movement insights. Vistar is one of the SSPs through which CEN's programmatic inventory is made available (alongside Place Exchange, Broadsign, Hivestack).
- Hivestack
- ScreenXminorPanoramic 270-degree film format designed by CJ 4DPlex (a subsidiary of CJ CGV). Listed as a partner organization on CEN's site.
- Emagine EntertainmentcoreTheatre circuit featuring reclining chairs, gourmet snacks, reserved seating, in-seat service, valet parking, and other upscale amenities. Hosts CEN's digital displays across multiple locations.
- National Amusements / Showcase CinemasflagshipMajor U.S. cinema chain offering premium movie experience with Sony Digital 4K projection. Featured among CEN's marquee DOOH venues alongside TCL Chinese Theatre and Studio Movie Grill.
- CMX CinemascoreContemporary cinema chain with current films, classic concessions, and bar service. CEN's screens deployed across multiple CMX locations including Brickell, Old Orchard, Halcyon, Chateau, Odyssey, Wellington, Closter, and others.
- Studio Movie Grill (SMG)coreIn-theater dining with American Grill menu and full-service bar; first-run movies plus alternate/family programming. Featured in CEN's marquee DOOH network.
- iPIC TheatersflagshipLuxury cinema chain featured in CEN's DOOH programmatic network with 1,800+ screens across 81 U.S. markets.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
CEN Media Group competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Atmosphere (formerly GSTV): Atmosphere is a place-based DOOH network spanning gas stations, bars, restaurants, and other venues. While it does not focus on cinema, it competes for the same mid-funnel, captive-audience advertising budgets and increasingly pursues programmatic buying through the same SSPs as CEN.
- Clear Channel Outdoor (CCO): Clear Channel Outdoor is one of the largest global out-of-home advertising operators with a significant DOOH portfolio including airports and place-based venues. CCO competes with CEN for overall advertiser OOH budgets and has the scale and capital to outbid CEN on large multi-venue RFPs.
- Lamar Advertising: Lamar Advertising is a major U.S. outdoor advertising operator with a rapidly growing digital billboard and DOOH footprint. Comparable to CEN as a large, multi-format OOH/DOOH media owner competing for the same agency and brand budget pool.
- Outfront Media: Outfront Media is a leading U.S. out-of-home advertising company with a sizable DOOH portfolio across transit and place-based formats. Like Clear Channel and Lamar, it competes for overall DOOH budgets and can leverage greater scale in agency negotiations than CEN.
- Captivate (now Captivate Vision / Cineplex affiliate): Captivate operates a large place-based DOOH network in elevators, gyms, and other venues, and has expanded into cinema-adjacent formats. It competes with CEN for advertiser DOOH budgets outside the home, although its core venue mix (office towers, gyms) does not directly overlap CEN's cinema focus.
Direct peers
- National CineMedia (NCM): NCM is the dominant U.S. cinema advertising network, selling on-screen and lobby advertising across thousands of screens operated by major exhibitors (AMC, Regal, Cinemark). It is CEN's most direct competitor for cinema advertising budgets and competes for the same theater operator partnerships.
- Screenvision Media: Screenvision Media is a premier cinema, video, and media organization curating on-screen and lobby advertising for exhibitors. Listed as a CEN partner, but also a direct competitor in the same cinema advertising category — overlapping on exhibitor relationships and agency RFPs.
- Screenverse: Screenverse is a programmatic DOOH network that operates a sales force and trading-desk relationships for cinema DOOH inventory. CEN's flagship distribution partner, Screenverse is comparable because it routes other cinema and venue DOOH inventory through the same SSPs (Vistar, Place Exchange, Broadsign, Hivestack), creating direct competitive overlap in programmatic cinema supply.
Others
- Place Exchange: Place Exchange is a programmatic DOOH ad exchange and SSP. It is comparable to CEN as an enabling infrastructure layer for programmatic OOH buying, and CEN's inventory is sold through Place Exchange — making it an adjacent ecosystem participant rather than a direct competitor.
- Vistar Media: Vistar Media is one of the leading programmatic DOOH SSPs through which CEN's inventory is bought and sold. As an enabling platform rather than direct media owner, Vistar is comparable because its growth strategy and product roadmap materially shape CEN's programmatic demand pipeline.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
CEN Media Group social profiles
Digital presenceCEN Media Group financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
CEN Media Group leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
CEN Media Group subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries3 records
CEN Media Group funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
CEN Media Group M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about CEN Media Group
What does CEN Media Group do?
CEN Media Group operates a next-generation digital out-of-home (DOOH) advertising network spanning more than 1,800 digital screens across 81 U.S. markets placed in movie theater lobbies, concessions, box offices, restaurants, bars, and retail venues. The company sells DOOH advertising inventory to brands and Hollywood studios both directly and programmatically (via Vistar, Place Exchange, Broadsign, Hivestack through the Screenverse partnership), and provides hardware display modules, digital box office systems, dynamic menu boards, interactive kiosks, and content management services to theater, restaurant, and retail operators.
Is CEN Media Group a public or private company?
CEN Media Group is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was CEN Media Group founded?
CEN Media Group was founded in 2019. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is CEN Media Group based?
CEN Media Group is headquartered in Jersey City, United States, in the North America region.
How does CEN Media Group make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. DOOH Advertising Sales (Direct & Programmatic) is the primary driver. The others are institutional Digital Signage Solutions, retail Digital Signage Solutions and content Management & Campaign Services.
Who are CEN Media Group's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Atmosphere (formerly GSTV), Clear Channel Outdoor (CCO), Lamar Advertising, Outfront Media and Captivate (now Captivate Vision / Cineplex affiliate). Direct peers are National CineMedia (NCM), Screenvision Media and Screenverse. Others are Place Exchange and Vistar Media.
Does CEN Media Group have an API?
No public API is recorded for CEN Media Group.
What industry is CEN Media Group in?
CEN Media Group's product category is Digital Out-of-Home (DOOH) Advertising. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAAAKAB, Digital Out-of-Home (DOOH) Advertising, with a secondary code of BPAFALAB, Digital Out-of-Home (DOOH) Screens & Networks. Its NAICS code is 541830 and its SIC code is 4833.