Val Morgan
 | |
| Industry | Cinema advertising, out-of-home advertising |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1894 |
| Headquarters | Sydney, Australia |
Area served |
|
Key people | Graeme Yarwood (CEO) |
| Products | Val Morgan Cinema, VMO |
| Owners | The HOYTS Group |
| Website | www |
The Val Morgan Group, formerly known as Val Morgan Cinema Advertisers and Val Morgan Pty Ltd, is an Australian advertising company first established in 1894.
The company currently specialises in cinema advertising and outdoor advertising across Australia and New Zealand, under the brands Val Morgan Cinema and VMO.
Val Morgan Cinema represents advertising opportunities across major Australian cinema chains including HOYTS, Event Cinemas, Village Cinemas, Reading Cinemas. Palace Cinemas and Dendy Cinemas.
Val Morgan Outdoor (VMO) operates advertising screens in shopping centres, gyms, service stations and office towers, as well as outdoor digital billboards. Val Morgan previously operated the Australian versions of media websites PopSugar, Thrillist, BuzzFeed, and Fandom through Val Morgan Digital,[1] which also owned media website The Latch.
History
[edit]Val Morgan Pty Ltd was first established in 1894 in Melbourne, Australia, by Valentine Morgan, initially offering advertising opportunities for live theatre and events. The company shifted to cinema advertising in 1914 and by the 1920s, Val Morgan was in control of the advertising in over 100 cinemas in Victoria.[2]
In 2001, Val Morgan acquired Media Entertainment Group, leaving them to be the only cinema advertising company in the Australian market.[3] Val Morgan was acquired in a joint venture between Hoyts, Village Cinemas, and Amalgamated Holdings in 2004, with Hoyts later increasing their stake to 100%.
Val Morgan acquired PumpTV in 2012, which had a number of screens installed in service stations across Australia, expanding the group's presence in outdoor advertising.[4] The company also acquired local advertising agency CineAds in 2013, returning to the Western Australian market for the first time since exiting the state in 2002.[5]
In 2019, a joint venture was formed to advertise on cinema screens in Saudi Arabia, as part of the group's expansion across the Middle East.[6]
In March 2026, Val Morgan and Vinyl Group formed a partnership covering cross-selling opportunities across outdoor and cinema advertising.[7]
Val Morgan Digital
[edit]In March 2020, Val Morgan launched The Latch, an entertainment, lifestyle, beauty and wellness website.[8] The Latch was shut down in October 2025.[9]
In January 2021, Val Morgan Digital acquired the Australian license to PopSugar.[10]
In March 2026, Val Morgan Digital was sold to Vinyl Group for $7 million in cash and $3.5 million in shares.[7]
See also
[edit]
References
[edit]- ^ Samios, Zoe (2018-09-28). "Val Morgan Group ventures into digital publishing with Fandom deal". Mumbrella. Retrieved 2022-02-23.
- ^ "VAL MORGAN ADVERTISING CONTRACTOR" (PDF). Retrieved 2024-01-14.
- ^ "Cinema advertising fails screen test". The Age. 2002-09-21. Retrieved 2022-02-23.
- ^ "Acquisition of PumpTV by Val Morgan". Digital Signage Blog. 2012-11-20. Retrieved 2022-02-23.
- ^ "National agency to buy Perth's CineAds". Business News. 2013-11-11. Retrieved 2022-02-23.
- ^ Allison, Austyn (25 August 2019). "MUVI Cinemas partners with Motivate Val Morgan for screen advertising in Saudi Arabia". Middle East Campaign. Haymarket Business Media. Retrieved 14 September 2019.
- ^ a b Hickman, Arvind (2026-03-01). "Vinyl Group To Acquire Val Morgan Digital After Posting $3M Loss". B&T. Retrieved 2026-03-03.
- ^ Claudia, Siron (17 March 2020). "Val Morgan's digital conversation-starter 'TheLatch—' is born". Mediaweek. Retrieved 22 March 2026.
- ^ Crawford, Hal (10 October 2025). "Val Morgan shuts The Latch, Brian Florido departs". Mumbrella. Retrieved 22 March 2026.
- ^ ""Intentional And By Design": How Val Morgan Digital Is Positioning Itself As An Advertiser's Playground". B&T. 14 January 2021. Retrieved 22 March 2026.