Sky Media Unveils New Brand Positioning at Industry Upfronts

Sky Media, the advertising partnerships arm of Sky, brought the media industry together yesterday at the Tate Modern in London for its Sky Media Connects showcase. Over 350 media agency executives attended the high-energy event, which unveiled Sky Media’s new brand positioning: Connections Mean Everything, alongside a suite of exciting products and partnerships.

Sky Media managing director, Brett Aumuller, hosted the event, emphasising Sky Media's ability to build meaningful connections in four core areas - Customers, Culture, Partners, and Innovation. Highlights included appearances from notable sports figures Micah Richards, Laura Robson, and David Flatman, Sky’s unique customer insights from Sky News’ Sarah-Jane Mee, and a fireside chat between presenter Dan Walker and Paramount Chief Content Officer Ben Frow on the evolution of Channel 5.

The event opened with a compelling performance from award-winning poet Sophia Thakur and went on to feature major announcements including

• Sky Media IQ and Project Norman – new insight tools using Sky’s industry-leading data and campaign measurement capabilities to deliver smarter, more effective advertising.
• Expanded advertising opportunities in women’s sport, a collaboration with Hearst UK, and sponsorship options tied to the new Premier League deal.
• Advances in streaming and programmatic, including the expansion of FAST channels to VIDAA, biddable inventory on The Trade Desk, and the roll-out of voice-activated ads

Brett Aumuller, managing director of Sky Media, commented “Over the last 9 months we’ve been on a journey to build out the ‘Connections Mean Everything’ brand position which captures what we uniquely bring to market.  Each word in our brand position is equally important, it’s about creating the right connections with audiences, in a meaningful way for clients and bringing together everything across our ecosystem which to deliver scale, creativity and better outcomes for brands.”

With Sky Media continuing to lead on innovation and creativity, the latest showcase set a bold vision for how advertisers can unlock new opportunities and deliver impactful campaigns. Major announcements were made aligning to each key pillar of the brand positioning:

Connected to Customers

• Sky Media IQ: A sophisticated tool that delivers deduplicated multi-platform outcomes measurement, Sky Media IQ integrates web visit lift, conversion metrics, and other performance indicators into one streamlined dashboard. This allows advertisers to assess the holistic impact of their campaigns across Linear TV, video on demand (VoD), and digital platforms, offering unrivalled transparency and accountability.
• Project Norman: Powered by insights from over 2,000 campaigns spanning 10 years, this AI-driven dataset allows advertisers to benchmark performance, optimise targeting, and strategically allocate media budgets. Norman focuses on metrics like brand lift and sales conversions, empowering advertisers to plan campaigns informed by real-world results.

Connected to Culture

• Premier League sponsorship opportunities: Sky Media invited agencies and brands to access its expanded Premier League coverage, offering exclusive sponsorship opportunities to partner with the UK’s most-watched sports event across Sky Sports and TNT Sports.
• Sports Marketplace: A simplified way for advertisers to access Sky Media’s live sports inventory. Sports Marketplace introduces impression-based packs, available both programmatically and directly, to help brands of all sizes connect with live sports audiences.

Connected to Partners

• Hearst UK partnership: As the market leader in broadcasting women’s sports, Sky Media announced a new partnership with leading publisher, Hearst UK, to enhance the visibility and impact of women’s sport across the UK. Launching in 2025, this collaboration will offer advertisers the opportunity to tap into the rapidly growing women’s sports sector and connect with a new generation of fans. Research reveals that these fans are eager for more non-live sports content and want to see female athletes recognised as icons. This partnership will tap in to sporting moments throughout the year connecting them with audiences’ passions for fashion, beauty, and health, with athletes at the forefront.

Connected to Innovation

• FAST channel expansion: Following a successful rollout across Samsung TV Plus and Sky’s platform, Sky’s suite of FAST channels will be available on VIDAA, expanding its reach across Hisense and Toshiba devices.
• Paramount+ and streamers package: Sky’s new solution aggregates reach across major SVOD platforms, providing seamless access to millions of younger viewers - an audience that increasingly prefers streaming over traditional viewing.
• Biddable inventory with The Trade Desk: Advertisers can now programmatically purchase premium VoD inventory, including live sports, through private marketplace auctions. This ensures greater flexibility and accessibility for brands looking to deliver against performance goals.
• Voice-activated ads: Sky unveiled interactive ads that enable viewers to use voice commands to explore branded content directly from their TV screens. Initial tests showed significant uplifts in ad recall and engagement metrics, reinforcing the potential of voice technology in advertising.