AdGroup has announced Primesight as the preferred bidder for its UK airport advertising specialist Eye Airports.

Subject to successful completion, the transaction would add some of the UK’s busiest airports, including London Gatwick and Manchester, to Primesight’s portfolio of Out of Home advertising sites.

Eye Airports’ national network reaches over 100 million passengers a year. Last year it announced #RedefiningAirports, an £8m investment in advertising media and technology, which represents the largest spend on UK airport advertising this decade. This included the latest high-spec formats and new opportunities for advertisers to “dominate” the airport environment.

Primesight is one of the leading Out of Home advertising businesses in the UK, with a national portfolio of advertising panels including roadside billboards and 6-sheets. The company also markets panels in cinema foyers and the Glasgow Subway. Primesight is investing heavily in digital and is in the process of rolling out “Network”, a national digital 48-sheet product.

Andrew Walker, managing director of AdGroup, said: “I’m proud of the impact that Eye Airports has made on the UK airport advertising industry, however to achieve its full potential, I believe it needs to be part of a larger and broader-based Out of Home group that can build on what our superb team has already achieved. Primesight’s culture and aspirations, along with its understanding of the Eye Airports offering, make it the ideal partner. They share Eye Airports’ passion to take airport advertising to the next level.”

Naren Patel, chief executive of Primesight, said: “We are extremely excited about this opportunity. Eye Airports is a unique chance for us to gain a significant presence in the UK airport advertising sector. Airport advertising is a great at reaching an upmarket audience in an environment that is perfect for developing digital products and ideally placed for mobile and Out of Home interactivity.”

AdGroup, based in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, comprises a number of different companies mainly in media, technology and printing industries.