Sky failed our high standards, ads chief tells industry at upfronts
Sky Media’s advertising chief has pledged to “drive change” as the TV sales house looks to “fully reimburse” clients underpaid for ad revenue over several years.
Speaking at Sky Media’a annual upfronts in London, chief advertising and new revenue officer Priya Dogra stopped short of apologising but thanked clients, which include Paramount and Warner Bros Discovery, for their “loyalty”.
Dogra said: “These issues did not rise to the standards that Sky sets for itself. The mark of a good organisation is what it does when issues arise. And, in this instance, once Sky became aware, it acted decisively. It conducted a thorough review, proactively notified partners and is in the process of fully reimbursing them.”
“I’m here to drive further change,” she added, having joined the business earlier this year. “My appointment shows Sky’s commitment to ensuring this doesn’t happen again and it’s part of many changes we’re making. I’d like to thank many of my colleagues at Sky who helped manage this process and, importantly, our media partners for their loyalty.
“We acknowledge we haven’t always got things right in the past, but with that commitment to making things right, it’s now time to look to the future, because our belief in better also means a relentless focus on the future — a future we believe we’re well-positioned for.”
It is understood that the underpayments go as far back as 2017, before Sky was acquired by current owner Comcast, and a number of staff have left the company in relation to the mistake.
Sky Media upfronts
The Sky Media Connects showcase, attended by 350 media agency executives, unveiled the sales house’s new brand positioning: “Connections mean everything.”
Among the features and tools publicised were:
Sky Media IQ: A tool that delivers deduplicated multiplatform outcomes measurement. It 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, VOD and digital platforms.
Project Norman: An AI-driven dataset that enables advertisers to benchmark performance, optimise targeting and strategically allocate media budgets. It is powered by insights from over 2,000 campaigns spanning 10 years and allows focuses on metrics like brand lift and sales conversions. It can, executives said, empower advertisers to plan campaigns informed by real-world results with a ChatGPT-like interface.
Premier League sponsorship opportunities: Sky Media invited agencies and brands to access its expanded Premier League coverage, offering exclusive sponsorship opportunities.
Sports Marketplace: A simplified way for advertisers to access Sky Media’s live sports inventory, which introduces impression-based packs, available both programmatically and directly, to help brands connect with live sports audiences.
Hearst UK partnership: Launching in 2025, this collaboration will offer advertisers the opportunity to tap into women’s sports sector and connect with a new generation of fans.
FAST channel expansion: Sky’s suite of free ad-supported TV channels will be now be available on the Vidaa operation system, used on Hisense and Toshiba TV sets.
Paramount+ and streamers package: Sky’s new solution aggregates reach across major subscription VOD platforms. Paramount confirmed last month that Sky’s ad sales contract had been expanded to sell inventory on the cheaper ad tier for its flagship streaming service.
Biddable inventory with The Trade Desk: Advertisers can now programmatically purchase premium VOD inventory through private marketplace auctions.
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.
Sky Media’s ad blunder occurs at pain point in TV’s transition to digital