Ballantyne Strong Portfolio Company Firefly Systems Inc. Acquires Curb Taxi Media
28 Junio 2021 - 7:30AM
Ballantyne Strong, Inc. (NYSE American: BTN) (the “Company” or
“Ballantyne Strong”) announced that portfolio company Firefly
Systems Inc. (“Firefly”) has acquired Curb Taxi Media, the largest
and most established mobility media company in the U.S. Acquisition
terms were not disclosed. Ballantyne Strong holds a $13 million
preferred investment in Firefly, which is privately held.
Based on an announcement distributed by Firefly,
the acquisition will provide Firefly with access to over ten
thousand top-of-car screens to significantly scale Firefly’s
disruptive technology and network. The acquisition will establish a
leadership position in the U.S. for Firefly through a presence in
11 cities, including the major media markets of New York, Chicago,
Las Vegas, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Miami. As cities reopen
and out-of-home advertising returns, the Company believes that the
synergy between Curb Taxi Media and Firefly will enable advertisers
to capitalize on new growth opportunities through an expanded
portfolio of mobility solutions available under the same umbrella
and reach new markets through best-in-class taxi media
solutions.
Mark Roberson, Chief Executive Officer of
Ballantyne Strong, commented, “As we move beyond the pandemic and
cities begin to return to normal business and tourism activities,
there is strong demand for taxi and ridesharing services. This
strategic acquisition gives our portfolio company, Firefly, the
opportunity to accelerate the deployment of its screens in major
cities across the U.S., and we believe this represents a
significant growth opportunity for the business. This is an
exciting strategic development that firmly secures Firefly as the
premier provider of digital out-of-home mobile advertising
solutions.”
Kyle Cerminara, Chairman of Ballantyne Strong,
commented, “Firefly is a proven leader in mobile advertising with a
disruptive technology and network, and we are confident that this
transaction will strengthen the value of our strategic investment
in their business. The access to Curb Taxi Media’s network of more
than ten thousand screens across major metropolitan areas enables
Firefly to exponentially scale its operations in the near term, and
we look forward to their continued progress and success.”
Firefly is a street-level digital media network
that connects audiences with dynamic media on taxis and rideshare
vehicles. The company works with taxi companies and rideshare
drivers to install its proprietary advertising displays atop their
vehicles. These proprietary screens deliver dynamic content based
on location and Wi-Fi-enabled triggers. Firefly provides an
additional revenue stream to maximize drive time and empowers
brands to efficiently engage consumers across our nation’s busiest
cities, including San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York City,
Chicago, and Miami.
About Ballantyne
Strong, Inc.
Ballantyne Strong, Inc.
(https://ballantynestrong.com/) is a diversified holding company
with operations and investments across a broad range of industries.
The Company’s Strong Entertainment segment includes the largest
premium screen supplier in the U.S. and provides technical support
services and other related products and services to the cinema
exhibition industry, theme parks, and other entertainment-related
markets. Ballantyne Strong holds a $13 million preferred
investment, along with Google Ventures, in privately-held Firefly
Systems, Inc., which is rolling out a digital mobile advertising
network on rideshare and taxi fleets. Finally, the Company holds a
30% ownership position in GreenFirst Forest Products Inc. (TSX:
GFP), which has recently completed an investment in a sawmill and
related assets, and a 21% ownership position in FG Financial Group,
Inc. (Nasdaq: FGF), a reinsurance and investment management holding
company focused on opportunistic collateralized and loss capped
reinsurance, while allocating capital to SPAC and SPAC
sponsor-related businesses.
Forward-Looking Statements
In addition to the historical information
included herein, this press release includes forward-looking
statements, such as management’s expectations regarding future
sales, the impact, length and severity of the COVID-19 pandemic,
and the adequacy of the actions taken in response to the pandemic,
which involve a number of risks and uncertainties, including but
not limited to those discussed in the “Risk Factors” section
contained in Item 1A in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K
for the year ended December 31, 2020, filed with the SEC on March
10, 2021, as supplemented by the Company’s Amendment No. 1 on Form
10-K/A filed with the SEC on April 28, 2021, the Company’s
subsequent filings with the SEC, and the following risks and
uncertainties: the negative impact that the COVID-19 pandemic has
already had, and may continue to have, on the Company’s business
and financial condition; the Company’s ability to maintain and
expand its revenue streams to compensate for the lower demand for
the Company’s digital cinema products and installation services;
potential interruptions of supplier relationships or higher prices
charged by suppliers; the Company’s ability to successfully compete
and introduce enhancements and new features that achieve market
acceptance and that keep pace with technological developments; the
Company’s ability to successfully execute its capital allocation
strategy or achieve the returns it expects from these investments;
the Company’s ability to maintain its brand and reputation and
retain or replace its significant customers; challenges associated
with the Company’s long sales cycles; the impact of a challenging
global economic environment or a downturn in the markets (such as
the current economic disruption and market volatility generated by
the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic); economic and political risks of
selling products in foreign countries (including tariffs); risks of
non-compliance with U.S. and foreign laws and regulations,
potential sales tax collections and claims for uncollected amounts;
cybersecurity risks and risks of damage and interruptions of
information technology systems; the Company’s ability to retain key
members of management and successfully integrate new executives;
the Company’s ability to complete acquisitions, strategic
investments, entry into new lines of business, divestitures,
mergers or other transactions on acceptable terms, or at all; the
impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the companies in which the
Company holds investments; the Company’s ability to utilize or
assert its intellectual property rights, the impact of natural
disasters and other catastrophic events (such as the ongoing
COVID-19 pandemic); the adequacy of insurance; the impact of having
a controlling stockholder and vulnerability to fluctuation in the
Company’s stock price. Given the risks and uncertainties, readers
should not place undue reliance on any forward-looking statement
and should recognize that the statements are predictions of future
results which may not occur as anticipated. Many of the risks
listed above have been, and may further be, exacerbated by the
ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, its impact on the cinema and
entertainment industry, and the worsening economic environment.
Actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in
the forward-looking statements and from historical results, due to
the risks and uncertainties described herein, as well as others not
now anticipated. New risk factors emerge from time to time, and it
is not possible for management to predict all such risk factors,
nor can it assess the impact of all such factors on the Company’s
business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of
factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those
contained in any forward-looking statements. Except where required
by law, the Company assumes no obligation to update, withdraw or
revise any forward-looking statements to reflect actual results or
changes in factors or assumptions affecting such forward-looking
statements.
For Investor Relations
Inquiries:
Mark Roberson |
John Nesbett / Jennifer Belodeau |
Ballantyne Strong, Inc. - Chief Executive Officer |
IMS Investor Relations |
704-994-8279 |
203-972-9200 |
IR@btn-inc.com |
jnesbett@imsinvestorrelations.com |
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