Nowsignage Targets 150,000 Screens, Pushes Native Retail Media Tools
2026-10-22 · via invidis
UK-based CMS provider Nowsignage says it is on track to power roughly 150,000 screens across more than 60 countries by the end of the year, up from about 40 countries a year ago, according to an interview CEO Nick Johnson gave to invidis. For operators evaluating CMS platforms, the company's pitch centers on two things: profitability without outside investment, and a retail media and QSR feature set built directly into the core product rather than bolted on through integrations.
Johnson told invidis the company currently posts a Rule of 40 score exceeding 100, a SaaS benchmark combining revenue growth and profit margin. He said the growth has been funded entirely through internal profits, with no external investment and full shareholder ownership retained. Readers should treat these figures as company-reported; invidis does not independently verify Rule of 40 calculations, and the announcement does not provide underlying revenue or screen-count figures to check the math against.
Built for large networks, not small deployments
According to Johnson, Nowsignage made a deliberate shift away from smaller signage jobs several years ago to focus on enterprise retail and QSR customers running networks of thousands of screens. That shaped the product: monitoring, filtering, targeting and network-wide management tools designed for scale rather than single-site content publishing.
The company's clearest differentiator, per the interview, is native advertising and campaign management built into the CMS itself, including share-of-voice allocation, loop scheduling and filler content, rather than relying on third-party ad-serving integrations as many competitors do. Nowsignage says it added this more than two years ago, ahead of most rivals, as retailers increasingly look to turn in-store screens into ad inventory rather than pure communication tools.
On the QSR side, the company points to deep POS integrations and menu board functionality as tying the CMS directly into restaurant operations. Nowsignage is one of two software providers integrated with Taco Bell's Byte POS platform and serves as Taco Bell's international CMS partner, a relationship the company frames as its most important reference account. It also cites the 2024 rollout across Little Caesars' US and international estate as a credibility builder for pursuing other US QSR tenders now in progress.
Other named wins include a 20,000-plus screen retail network migrating from Scala, and an unnamed UK airport retailer that chose the platform largely for its retail media capabilities.
What's coming and what's missing
Johnson confirmed a new product line called NS Suite aimed at giving retail and QSR customers more insight, data and automation tools, with the first products due to be revealed next month. The interview does not disclose pricing, specific features, or a firm release date beyond that.
The company says it remains channel-led, working through more than 100 certified reseller partners globally rather than moving to direct sales, though it says it often joins enterprise RFPs alongside partners for large deals. The UK is described as its strongest market, with North America and the Middle East cited as the fastest-growing regions, though Johnson said the US reseller network and local resources are still being built out.
The announcement in full
Reproduced from invidis for reference. Digital Signage Magazine did not write the text below.
Few digital signage software companies are currently generating as much industry buzz as Nowsignage. Combining exceptional growth, strong profitability and a laser focus on retail and QSR deployments, the UK-based CMS provider is rapidly emerging as one of the sector's most promising challengers. invidis talked to Nowsignage CEO Nick Johnson.
In an industry where growth often comes at the expense of profitability, Nowsignage appears to be breaking the rules. The UK-based digital signage CMS provider has quietly transformed itself from a regional UK software specialist into one of the most closely watched companies in the signage market.
During a recent exclusive background talk with invidis, CEO Nick Johnson offered insights into the strategy, product roadmap and growth trajectory behind the company’s rise. It became clear why competitors, channel partners and investors are paying increasing attention.
The numbers alone are impressive. According to Johnson, Nowsignage currently achieves a Rule of 40 score exceeding 100, a performance level that places the company among a very small group of software businesses globally. The Rule of 40, which combines revenue growth and profitability, has become one of the most widely accepted benchmarks for SaaS performance. While a score above 40 is generally considered strong, surpassing 100 signals an exceptionally efficient business model.
The company claims to be one of the fastest-growing digital signage CMS providers in the market. Its platform is now on target to power approximately 150,000 screens by the end of the year across more than 60 countries, up significantly from around 40 markets just a year ago. Equally remarkable is how that growth has been achieved: entirely through internally generated profits. Nowsignage remains 100% shareholder-owned and has never taken external investment.
Several years ago, Nowsignage made a deliberate decision to move away from smaller deployments and focus on large-scale enterprise customers. Today, the company’s primary targets are consumer-facing organisations, particularly in retail and quick-service restaurants (QSR).
That strategic pivot heavily influenced product development. Rather than optimizing for simple content publishing, the platform was built to manage large and often complex digital signage networks. Advanced monitoring tools, filtering capabilities, targeting features and network-wide management functions are designed to support deployments consisting of thousands, rather than dozens, of screens.
The company’s strongest differentiator may be its approach to retail media. More than two years ago and much earlier than most competitors, Nowsignage introduced native advertising and campaign management capabilities directly into the CMS platform. While many competing solutions rely on third-party integrations, NowSignage allows operators to manage advertising inventory, campaign scheduling, share-of-voice allocations, loop durations and filler content from within a single environment.
As retailers increasingly seek to monetize in-store audiences, this capability is becoming a powerful competitive advantage. In-store retail media displays are no longer treated merely as communication endpoints but as revenue-generating assets.
A similar philosophy can be seen in the QSR sector, where menu boards are evolving into business-critical systems. Through deep POS integrations and dedicated menu board functionality, the CMS has become tightly connected to restaurant operations and customer experiences.
The next chapter in Nowsignage’s evolution will begin with the launch of NS Suite, a range of enterprise products built around the needs of retailers and QSRs. While CEO Nick Johnson remained tight-lipped on the finer details, he revealed that the first products of the Suite are due to be revealed next month, and will give NowSignage customers the tools to harness more power and control from their network through insight, data and automation.
Unlike many software vendors that increasingly pursue direct sales models, NowSignage remains firmly channel-led. The company works with more than 100 certified reseller partners worldwide.
Smaller projects are typically delivered entirely through partners, while larger opportunities involve direct collaboration between Nowsignage and the reseller. Significantly, the software company often participates in enterprise RFP processes alongside partners, helping secure large-scale opportunities while maintaining a channel-first commercial structure.
The UK remains the company’s strongest and most mature market. However, North America and the Middle East are currently delivering the fastest growth rates.
“The United States presents the greatest opportunity. While the reseller network and local resources are still developing, existing relationships with global retail and QSR brands are opening doors to major opportunities. Building on the success of securing the rollout across the entire US & International estate for Little Caesars in 2024; several significant US QSRs are following suit, with tenders already underway, supported by the credibility gained through international deployments.”
Recent customer wins highlight the company’s momentum. A major UK airport retailer selected the platform due largely to its integrated retail media capabilities. Another high-profile migration involved a 20,000+ screen retail network transitioning from Scala to Nowsignage, including sophisticated POS integrations and interactive customer engagement features.
Perhaps the most strategically important reference customer is Taco Bell. Nowsignage serves as the restaurant group’s international CMS partner and is one of only two software providers integrated with Taco Bell’s Byte POS platform. Following successful international rollouts, industry observers will be watching closely to see whether a larger US opportunity eventually emerges.
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