Sky, Channel 4 and ITV launch first unified ad marketplace
In a landmark move set to shift UK TV advertising, Sky, Channel 4, ITV, and Comcast have announced their intent to launch a premium self-service video advertising marketplace.
For the first time, small and medium sized businesses, or SMEs, will be able to run a single ad campaign across all three broadcasters’ platforms, simplifying access to premium on-demand and streaming inventory.
The marketplace, powered by Comcast’s Universal Ads platform and FreeWheel technology, aims to lower barriers for new-to-TV advertisers by consolidating addressable inventory from Sky Media, Channel 4 sales and ITV media into one place.
The firms claim it will offer biddable pricing that mirrors the digital ad buying experience familiar to brands used to social and online media.
This collaboration marks a significant shift in the TV advertising landscape, which large advertisers and complex buying processes have traditionally dominated.
The group stated that TV advertising will now be accessible to smaller businesses seeking to utilise premium video content.
Priya Dogra, Sky’s chief advertising officer, said: “Success in today’s evolving media landscape demands collaboration and innovation. Partnering with ITV and Channel 4, and leveraging Comcast’s Universal Ads platform, we’re opening up TV advertising to new brands and simplifying the process for established advertisers”.
A growing digital video ad market
The move comes amid rapid growth in digital video advertising in the UK.
According to IAB UK’s 2024 digital ad spend report, the UK’s overall digital ad market hit £35.5bn last year, growing 13 per cent year on year, far outpacing GDP growth.
Video display advertising, spanning social media platforms and out-stream formats, grew 20 per cent to £8.3bn, and now accounts for 64 per cent of online display spend.
Video consumption habits underpin this trend, with all age groups under 55 spending more time watching digital video than linear TV.
Advertisers are increasingly targeting connected TV devices, where video ad spend rose 22 per cent in 2024, reflecting the medium’s growing importance.
Despite digital’s growth, search advertising remains dominant, making up 47 per cent of total digital spend at £16.6bn, but video is steadily gaining share.
SMEs and new brands represent a significant untapped audience for premium TV advertising, which this marketplace aims to unlock.
Wider industry pressures highlight need for innovation
This initiative arrives just weeks after Google faced a £25bn UK legal claim over alleged abuse of dominance in online advertising.
The case, brought on behalf of hundreds of thousands of UK advertisers, highlights broader tensions in the digital ad ecosystem and a growing appetite for alternative, transparent advertising channels.
Jon Mew, chief executive of IAB UK, commented on the evolving media landscape, saying that “how we consume media is becoming increasingly video-centric, shaping where advertisers invest budgets.”
“Digital video ads offer a powerful canvas for brands to build creative, engaging content. We expect this shift to accelerate as technology advances and media barriers break down”.