Satellite TV broadcaster, Sky, has made the unusual decision to sell mobile advertising based around its content across the T-Mobile and Vodafone portals as part of its strategy to offer advertisers cross-platform advertising opportunities.
This move, thought to be one of the first times a content owner has sold advertising around its on-portal material, will start this week with adverts from Adidas and Fiat.
Sky, one of the largest mobile sports content providers, is said to be also looking to expand its mobile inventory to include Sky Sports TV and its 24/7 Football VoD service, and is thought to be negotiating terms with three other MNOs.
Tim Hussain, Sky's recently appointed head of mobile advertising, said, "The reason we've done this deal with the operators is to give advertisers a single buying point on Sky. They can come to us to buy a Sky customer wherever that customer is."
By contrast, British broadcaster Channel 4 is closing its mobile advertising sales operations in an attempt to cut costs. The division is being axed following a steep decline in the demand for mobile advertising in the past year, although the broadcaster said it may revisit mobile advertising when the economic climate improves.
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New Media Age
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