Sky Media Expands Partnership with The Trade Desk

Sky Media UK, the advertising sales arm of Sky - one of Europe’s leading direct-to-consumer media and entertainment companies - is expanding its partnership with global advertising technology leader The Trade Desk. This enhanced collaboration enables brands to buy TV and Video on Demand (VOD) advertising from Sky Media’s premium, brand-safe content through a private marketplace (PMP) for the first time.

Advertisers can now leverage automated real-time bidding to access Sky’s extensive premium VOD content across TV, mobile, and tablet devices. This includes on-demand apps such as Sky Go, TNT Sports on the Discovery+ app and NOW, with additional platforms, including Sky Glass and Pluto set to launch throughout the year.

Elements of Sky Media’s recently launched Sports Marketplace, a new online destination for buying premium sports content across Sky Sports and TNT Sports will also be coming soon. Buyers can shortly access new ‘Multi-Event Packs,’ which include live sporting content such as football, tennis, golf and rugby. This will complement new ‘Always On’ live sport PMPs available exclusively on the Trade Desk, offering biddable capabilities in live football for the first time. Advertisers will be able to optimise their campaigns through high-impact, high-quality trusted inventory with enhanced targeting capabilities to help deliver better outcomes.

Additionally, Sky Media’s Programmatic Guaranteed exclusive offering with The Trade Desk will expand with the introduction of programmatic access to the millions of Sky Q boxes later this year. This development enables buyers to engage with every platform in Sky Media’s VOD portfolio.

Dan Cohen, Sky Media’s director of transformation and strategic programmes, commented, “It’s our aim to make it as simple as possible to connect advertisers with our premium entertainment and sports content. Expanding into biddable gives brands the flexibility and control they want, with the brand-safe, premium content they need.”

Advertisers will also benefit from enhanced data capabilities and insights informed by geographic data, device type, and content genre across connected TV, mobile, and desktop devices. With frequency capping capabilities available on The Trade Desk, the partnership will help advertisers maximize reach across Sky Media’s portfolio while improving the consumer experience.

"Sky Media's commitment to data-driven innovation marks a major milestone for the UK TV industry, bringing programmatic access to Sky’s premium content with greater transparency, flexibility, and targeting than ever before,” said Sven Hagemeier, GM inventory development EMEA at The Trade Desk. “As the first media buying platform with access, The Trade Desk is partnering with Sky Media to make TV advertising more accessible for brands with enhanced targeting capabilities to reach audiences with precision and scale."