Chinese state-owned television, CCTV, now runs one of the largest digital signage networks in buses in the country via its affiliate CCTV Mobile Media.

At the end of 2009, this network covered 60,000 screens fitted in 35,500 buses in 24 cities (including Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin, Guangzhou and Shenzhen) reaching 90 million passengers per day.

The network is now being extended to airports and restaurants in the KFC chain.

In creating content loops, CCTV Mobile Media draws heavily on CCTV programmes, but also uses material from third parties, such as the Xinhua (New China) press agency.

The loop also shows spots from prestigious advertisers such as Coca Cola, Pepsi Cola, McDonald’s, KFC, Unilever, P&G, TSKSF Pharmacies, Haier, Lenovo, UnionPay, Bank of China, Agricultural Bank of China, Industrial & Commercial Bank of China, China Mobile, China Unicom, China Telecom and the Thailand Tourist Office.

An effort is now being made to recruit advertising from the European tourism sector, since the Chinese are now increasingly attracted to visiting the ‘old continent’.