Channel 4, Sky expand partnership
July 2, 2021
Channel 4 and Sky have renewed and expanded their long-term commercial partnership. The broadcasters say that their new multi-year agreement will “extend the strategic relationship, giving both parties more opportunities to collaborate, support commercial growth, and innovate as broadcasting evolves in the future”.
The partnership will make even more Channel 4 content available to Sky customers and will see further and deeper integration of All 4, including more than 1000 hours of All 4 Exclusives, into all of Sky’s existing and future TV products.
The deal also gives Channel 4 the opportunity to unlock new digital advertising revenues to support the delivery of its Future4 strategy. Using the advertising technologies developed by Freewheel, Channel 4’s advertising inventory across linear and on demand will become addressable allowing the broadcaster to further improve its content monetisation across Sky’s platforms.
Alex Mahon, Chief Executive at Channel 4, commented: “When we set out our Future4 strategy last year, we made clear that securing strategic distribution partnerships would be a vital part of ensuring we can maximise our reach and impact with viewers in a digital age, grow our revenues and compete more effectively for the future. I’m delighted to have agreed this deal which extends a longstanding and incredibly successful partnership between Channel 4 and Sky.”
Stephen van Rooyen, Executive VP & Chief Executive, UK & Europe at Sky, added: “We know how much Sky customers love Channel 4’s content so it’s great that we’ve secured an extension, and expansion, to our existing agreement. This brings Sky customers more of what they want and supports Channel 4 to deliver on their key priorities, all while providing both parties with long-term confidence in the strategic partnership. The expansion of Channel 4’s content, alongside Sky’s existing partnerships, and the impressive slate of Sky Originals planned for this year, makes it even easier for Sky customers to access everything they love, in one place.”
This builds on a partnership with Sky Media in which Channel 4 Sales will integrate with Sky AdSmart, to better tailer ads to different pay TV households, and support CFlight, the unified advertising metric that captures all live, on-demand and time-shifted commercial impressions.
For Sky, this is the latest step in bringing high-profile entertainment sources together in one place, easy. In the latter part of 2020, Sky finalised a new multi-year European partnership with Amazon, launching Prime Video on Sky and NOW devices, and signed long-term partnerships with Entertainment One and STUDIOCANAL, bolstering Sky Cinema’s offerings. Sky customers already have access to content from Netflix, Disney+, WarnerMedia (HBO), Showtime, Discovery, Fox, Sony, and many other partners in each of Sky’s markets. Adding to this, Sky has brought lifestyle and entertainment apps like Fiit, Roxi and Peloton onto Sky Q, making it easier for customers to access everything they love.