STAIRS WITH A LIFE OF THEIR OWN
StairMedia has entered the market with a technology that promises
to revolutionize the sports advertising business
After four years of development, STAIRMEDIA has launched a technology that promises to revolutionize the sports advertising business by installing LED screens on the stairs of any type of stadium.
The founders, Rafael Coto and David Boja, explain that this is a highly innovative support system in which they have invested significant sums of money over the past few years. “The system is equipped with durable and certified materials that allow for the viewing of a single large screen through the installation of small screens on each step. We have obtained four worldwide patents,” said the two entrepreneurs, who have extensive experience in the industry. Boja is the director of Light Sound Group, a company that develops audiovisual projects for major brands and, together with Soto, runs the television production company Crazy4Fun.
After debuting at the Copa del Rey basketball tournament earlier this year, the company expects to generate €100 million in revenue.
STAIRMEDIA debuted earlier this year at the Copa del Rey basketball final, held in Málaga, and repeated in June at the ACB Endesa League final in Valencia. This month, the company has expanded to the UK, partnering with a local operator to license the technology in that market. The technology has been installed at Wembley Stadium and made its debut last weekend at the FA Cup semifinals. Now, the company is working to expand into various markets.
“We are closing deals, either directly or through licensing, in countries like Spain, Mexico, Germany, Portugal, Japan, and the United States… Seventy-five percent of the installations are in football stadiums, with the rest spread across basketball, rugby, and ice hockey venues,” they explain.
To carry out its international expansion, the company has opened offices in the UK and Mexico, which join its headquarters in Madrid. In fact, the company has a particular interest in Mexico. The office there was opened this year with the addition of a third partner, Pepe Bastón, who has experience in the audiovisual sector. Moreover, the general manager, Francisco Ortiz, is also Mexican and has worked for years as the director of new business at the large media group Televisa.
With the first contracts secured and more in progress, STAIRMEDIA expects to close its first year in the market with a revenue of €100 million.
The company’s business model, according to its founders, is based on taking a percentage of the revenue that clubs generate from the ads displayed on STAIRMEDIA’s screens. “We handle the installation of the technology, and if the client prefers, we also manage the content. In return, we demand a minimum of 50% of the advertising revenue,” they explain.
