Sky Sports ‘MO’bilises Top Talent to Champion Men’s Health Awareness with Movember

Sky Media, the advertising sales arm of Sky, has announced an exciting new partnership with Sky Sports and global men’s health charity Movember known for its ground-breaking work.

In collaboration with the agency Bicycle, the content-led campaign aims to leverage Sky Sports’ top talent to drive awareness, sign-ups, and donations for Movember, while also showing that you don’t need to ‘grow a mo’ to join in. There are countless ways for women and anyone else to show support and get involved, from moving 60km in the month, hosting an event or taking on an epic challenge.

Featuring popular Sky Sports presenters Simon Thomas, Pete Graves, Clinton Morrison, and Hayley McQueen the campaign will include four bespoke 30-second TV commercials which will air across Sky Sports platforms. The campaign will also incorporate digital and social content including exclusive interviews with presenters who are growing moustaches to personally champion the cause.

Movember’s 2024 campaign with Sky Sports is strategically designed to engage new and existing audiences, reigniting excitement and increasing participation and will even see co-branded ‘Sky Sports Presents’ idents as part of the creative playout.

“Our partnership with Movember goes beyond the typical campaign; we’re using our platform to engage millions of viewers in meaningful conversations about men’s health,” said Karin Seymour, Director of Client & Marketing. “With top Sky Sports presenting talent like Simon Thomas and Pete Graves leading by example, we aim to spark action across the UK, motivating people to grow, donate, and make a lasting impact.”

Throughout Movember, Soccer Saturday and Sky Sports fans will be able to monitor the progress of the moustache growing in action as Simon Thomas and Pete Graves, both take part in the Movember challenge.

The campaign will be visible across various Sky platforms, including Video on Demand (VOD), SFVOD, digital editorial, social and linear TV channels, ensuring widespread reach and engagement.

Anne-Cecile Berthier, Country Director UK & Europe at Movember, said: “We are excited to work with Sky Media to bring millions of eyes to Movember, helping to raise funds and awareness to change the face of men’s health.

“As a charity, we work tirelessly to deliver innovative, breakthrough research and support programmes that enable men to live happier, healthier and longer lives. And we couldn’t do it without our global community of supporters. So, whether you’re growing a Mo, taking on an epic challenge or hosting an event, we’re encouraging everyone to get involved this Movember.”

Since its inception in 2003, Movember has grown into a global movement, funding more than 1,300 men’s health projects around the world. The charity is dedicated to addressing four critical areas of men’s health: mental health, suicide prevention, prostate cancer, and testicular cancer. Sky Sports’ campaign aims to remind audiences of the tangible impact their involvement can make.

Lexus Aces Sky Sports Sponsorship as ‘Presenting Partner’ of the New Tennis Channel

Lexus has struck a new partnership with Sky Sports as the “Presenting Partner” of its brand-new channel Sky Sports Tennis. Brokered by Sky Media and MSix & Partners, the year-long partnership includes exclusive sponsorship of the ATP Tour and the WTA Tour throughout 2024.

This seven-figure deal includes broadcast sponsorship of over 4,000 matches from more than 80 tournaments across the ATP Tour and WTA Tour, and non-live tennis programming on the new dedicated channel. Lexus will also align with Tennis content on Sky Sports digital and social platforms, reinforcing association with Sky Sports subscribers while also extending reach to non-Sky Sports subscribers. The partnership allows Lexus to reach and engage with millions of Tennis fans every month across multiple platforms, with the aim of growing their association with the sport.

Across broadcast, the sponsorship will comprise 15-second accreditation to open and close each programme, while additional 5-second accreditations will top and tail each centre break. Meanwhile, the sponsorship will also extend across Sky’s owned and operated digital platforms with impactful video and display assets, and Sky AdVance to retarget Tennis viewers across the web. On Sky Sports social platforms, Lexus branding will be attached to Tennis video content, including highlights and key Tennis moments, throughout the year.

To amplify the partnership, Lexus will use the Sky Sports Tennis logo and “Presenting Partner” designation across its owned and bought media. In addition, Lexus and Sky Sports have exciting plans to activate the partnership, bringing exclusive and bespoke content to Tennis fans, with the potential to use Sky Sports talent, brand ambassadors and key names from the world of Tennis.

This partnership follows Lexus’ recent multi-year agreement with the ATP Tour, as Platinum Partner and Official Automotive Partner. The automotive brand has furthered its presence in the sport by welcoming UK Tennis players Cameron Norrie and Katie Boulter as ambassadors. The brand also has a wider commitment to Tennis in the UK as Official Performance Partner and Official Automotive Partner of the Lawn Tennis Association.

Sky Sports, the new home of Tennis in the UK and Ireland, has recently agreed five-year partnerships with the ATP and WTA to show year-round Tennis, with over 80 tournaments and 4,000 matches available to customers. The new channel will also broadcast exclusive live coverage of the US Open in August. Coverage will be expertly analysed by former top British players Tim Henman and Laura Robson, presented by Gigi Salmon, with commentary from the well-known voice of Jonathan Overend.

Chris Hayes, Director of Lexus in the UK, commented: “We’re excited to be supporting a new Sky channel that will bring Tennis to a wider audience than ever before. This year promises to be particularly exciting, with more tournaments, and new opportunities for fans to engage with the sport. We’re looking forward to showcasing the passion, skill and pursuit of perfection of the world’s leading players, which mirrors the dedication, skill and craftsmanship that goes into every Lexus car.”

Dan Morrissey, Head of Sponsorship Activation at Sky Media said: “Sky Sports Tennis is the perfect match for Lexus to increase its visibility amongst highly engaged, premium audience. We look forward to working with Lexus and mSix&Partners, to launch and activate the partnership across the brand-new Tennis channel, and its digital and social platforms.”

Asda launches ‘Behind the Scenes’ taste test challenge with Sky’s hit show Never Mind the Buzzcocks, to showcase food quality

Asda is continuing its quest for a #foodrevolution to highlight the quality of its food by partnering with popular Sky TV series Never Mind the Buzzcocks.

Asda has tasked celebrity comedians Judi Love and Buzzcocks regular panellist Jamali Maddix, along with the team from Sorted Food (a food community and YouTube channel with over 2 million subscribers) to perform blind taste tests (and give their honest opinion) on Asda products and their Marks & Spencer equivalents. Taking place behind the scenes of Never Mind the Buzzcocks, the ‘Taste Match’ campaign aims to challenge brand perceptions and target secondary shoppers by demonstrating the high quality of Asda products.

As the first-ever branded partnership with Never Mind the Buzzcocks, the campaign will launch primarily as a social content series on Sky social channels, comprising of three long form episodes hosted on YouTube with 60” cutdowns on Instagram and Facebook. The ads will appear across Linear and On Demand Sky Media channels, placed strategically during key show breaks. Each ad will feature a QR code, driving viewers to the longer form content and will run for six weeks, until 5th November.

Spark Foundry, Asda’s media agency, has handled the media planning and buying, with SPP Media managing the partnership, and content production by Sky Media Commercial Production.

Never Mind the Buzzcocks is available Wednesdays at 9pm on Sky Showcase, also on Sky Max and NOW.

With comedian, actor and writer Greg Davies back in the presenting chair, the new series of the much-loved music themed quiz also sees the return of team captains, Noel Fielding and Daisy-May Cooper and regular guest Jamali Maddix for a 9 x 45 series plus a Christmas Special for 2023.

Stephi Brett-Lee, Senior Director of Brand Communications at Asda, said: “We’re incredibly proud to launch our Taste Match campaign and prove that great quality doesn’t have to come at a price. In thousands of blind taste tests, 100s of Asda products were found to be as tasty, or even tastier, than M&S. Never Mind the Buzzcocks gave us the perfect platform to showcase some of these products and conduct Taste Tests in a fun and engaging way with some completely impartial guest celebrities.”

Sarah Jones, Director of Planning at Sky Media, said: “We’re thrilled to work with Asda on such a fun, engaging campaign. Through a first of its kind partnership with Never Mind the Buzzcocks, Asda are brilliantly harnessing the power of TV with social to put a spotlight on the quality of their products.”

Kat Broomhead, Managing Partner at Spark Foundry UK, said: “This campaign aligns quality video content – harnessing one of Sky’s leading shows and talent – with quality food, putting it to the test. The taste test is a brilliant way to leverage the power of TV and brand socials, and help shift key perceptions of the brand amongst a wide audience.”

To learn more, visit Asda.com/TasteMatch.

‘The Sunday Times Best Places To Live’, Sponsored By Halifax, Is Set To Debut On Channel 5

Premiering on Channel 5 on Sunday 14th May 2023, the popular Sunday Times ‘Best Places to Live’, sponsored by Halifax, will showcase the various locations that made it into the anticipated housing list.

Sky Media today announces a new sponsorship with Halifax that will bring the popular The Sunday Times ‘Best Places to Live’ list live to Channel 5, in a two-hour TV special this Sunday, 14th May.

In collaboration with Sky Media, Paramount (Channel 5), and media agency Zenith UK, Halifax launches its first AFP (advertising funded programming) campaign with wider commercial assets to support. The two-hour show produced by Paramount’s in-house studio builds on the existing 2-year-long partnership between Halifax and The Sunday Times. The sponsorship campaign sees a range of idents and supporting media that runs across Linear airtime, Channel 5’s social media platforms and the channel’s on-demand service, My5.

For over ten years, The Sunday Times has been celebrating the Best Places to Live in the UK. The annual list is the uncontested authority on the most desirable and attractive locations across Britain celebrating affordability, great schools, fast connectivity and good transport links in hotspots across the UK; including bustling cities, lively town centres, and picturesque villages nestled in the beautiful British countryside.

Now, the must-read list is a must-watch TV special, brought to the big screen for the first time. Fern Britton – joined by Ore Oduba and Sunetra Sarker – countdown the top ten Best Places to Live in 2023 as they travel to every corner of the UK to explore each unique location. The show follows these top presenters as they go beyond the stats to find out what makes each place so special and what it feels like to live there. In each place – whether urban or rural – they chat with the locals, enjoy local activities and experience for themselves what life is like in one of the UK’s Top Ten Best Places to Live. The content is a natural fit for Channel 5’s audience – a broadcaster for the people, all across the country and a place for regional voices.

Recipe is producing the supporting TVC and ident assets that showcase the unique features of some of the locations that have Halifax branches, such as Birmingham and Chichester. The TVC’s celebrate the areas and what Halifax colleagues working there love about them – from recognisable landmarks to architectural features and local points of interest.

Karin Seymour, Director of Client and Marketing, Sky Media, said: “As part of our latest partnership with Halifax, we’re really excited to launch The Sunday Times Best Places to Live content this weekend, to the perfect audience on Channel 5. The AFP brings together three of the country’s favourite presenters – Fern, Ore, and Sunetra – to take viewers on a guided tour to some of the country’s most beautiful locations, celebrating exactly why they’ve made the top ten.”

Helen Davies, the editor of The Sunday Times Best Places to Live 2023, said: “Over the past decade, The Sunday Times has built up Best Places to Live to become the definitive guide celebrating the very best of Britain’s towns, villages and cities — and not just old favourites, but highlighting buzzing communities across the country. It’s fantastic to see it come alive as a television show.”

Fern Britton, presenter, said: “I’ve been reading the Sunday Times Best Places to Live list since it first began in 2013 – and I’m so excited to be able to join as the list expands onto TV. One of the great things about my job is the different people I get to meet, so travelling up and down the country with Ore and Sunetra to some of its most idyllic spots has been a fantastic experience.”

Kim Kinnaird, the Director of Halifax Mortgages, said: “At Halifax, we know it’s where you live that really makes somewhere feel like ‘home’ and what people look for when choosing where to live is a very personal choice. We know that the housing market can sometimes feel daunting when there are so many locations and things to consider. Taking a look at these fantastic locations is a great start, with options for different budgets and family situations, alongside an exciting blend of urban and rural living. We are excited to be bringing these stunning locations directly into people’s homes with this first of its kind programme.”

The content will run on Sunday 14th May 2023.

Sky Atlantic hosts Volvo’s new Safety in Action campaign in its 10th year of partnership

Sky Atlantic’s decade-long partnership with Volvo Car UK sees new safety-themed content in a campaign initiated by Sky Media and Mindshare Invention.

Sky Media’s latest campaign with Volvo, brokered in partnership with Mindshare Invention, sees high-intensity and bold branded content airing on Sky Atlantic, featuring stunt talent from the BAFTA-winning Sky Original series, Gangs of London.

Created by Sky Media’s in-house commercial production team and harnessing Sky Original talent, the four-minute branded content creative is titled ‘Inside The Mind Of A Stunt Artist’. Airing on Sky Atlantic on 18th April 2023, the content explores the importance of psychological safety for stunt artists. The message is driven home by stunt professional, Mens-Sana Tamakloe, who doubles for lead actor Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísù in Gangs of London, a show known for its exhilarating, edge-of-your-seat, action.

The bespoke branded content will be hosted on Sky’s YouTube channel. In addition, as part of a wider media campaign, the film will be supported and promoted with 30” trailers on BVOD, SFVOD, Linear, Sky AdVance and AdSmart from Sky; and 60” clips that will run across Sky social channels.

Safety is at the core of Volvo’s ethos and the brand leads the way when it comes to the safety of people inside and outside the car. So, highlighting the importance of emotional safety is where this new campaign plays a key role with the branded content. It reflects Volvo’s Safe Space Technology, which uses cutting-edge sensing technology. The new Volvo EX90 will be the first car to feature the system that supports the driver by recognising if they are distracted and not focussed on the road ahead. The car can take appropriate measures to alert the driver of any potential risk, or even stop the car and call for help.

Sarah Jones, Director of Planning at Sky Media says, “We’re thrilled to continue to evolve our long-standing Volvo and Sky Atlantic partnership. Gangs of London – one of our most popular Sky Atlantic dramas – was the perfect context to connect Volvo’s safety features with fascinating stories from Gangs’ stunt workers.”

Terissa Wingfield, Brand and Product Marketing Lead at Volvo added, “We are delighted with this new film, which is a product of our long-running relationship with Sky. The development of our Safe Space Technology is based on understanding human behaviour. We all experience emotions, but some of them can distract us and increase the chance of a crash happening. By better understanding the driver’s state of mind, we can reduce the risk of a crash happening.”

Sam Wood, Invention Business Director at Mindshare commented, “Together Volvo Cars, Sky Atlantic and Mindshare Invention have produced a truly ambitious activation to support our longstanding Sky Atlantic Sponsorship. Fronted by daring stunt-performer Mens-Sana Tamakloe – our co-branded hero content and supporting short-form assets highlight the importance of psychological safety in even the most challenging circumstances and, more specifically, the key role Safe Space Technology will play in the next generation of Volvo Cars.”

Audi and Sky Sports drive golfing innovation following success of
cricket ‘Power Meter’

Audi renews as Official Innovation Partner of Sky Sports

Audi and Sky Media have created two new golfing innovations, providing insight into golf techniques of the professionals to help viewers improve their own performance.

Part of Audi’s renewal as the Official Innovation Partner for Sky Sports – a deal brokered between Sky Media and Omnicom Media Group’s PHD – the continued partnership swings back into action from the 23rd of February and runs until October 2023.

The two new innovations, ‘Force Plates’ and ‘Zen Eye’, will be showcased as part of PGA Tour coverage in the ‘Audi Performance Zone’ part of the Sky Sports Golf studio, with the aim of showing casual viewers how to improve their own game:

• ‘Force Plates’ will measure the force that a golfer uses to create their unique swing. Through the analysis of weight transfer and ground force, the analytics will demonstrate club head speed, ball strike and power of the swing.
• ‘Zen Eye’ will bring the art of putting to life by showing audiences the perfect pace and line for any type of putt with a display on the green.

The campaign will air on Linear TV, Sky Sports’ On Demand and Sky Go as well as YouTube and Sky’s social channels. Audi is also co-sponsoring the PGA Tour coverage, which will see the creation of unique idents produced by Sky Media Commercial Productions.

The innovations will be integrated into the programming as two- to three-minute editorial pieces and will form part of a 20” TV commercial to promote the partnership. Starting in April, the innovations will also be available on SkySports.com and through Sky’s On Demand collection, accessed via voice search, where viewers can review the tips and tricks, at their leisure, to perfect their swing.

Later in 2023, there will be two additional co-branded social content pieces produced, further bringing the innovations to life for sports fans.

The 20” TVC and PGA Tour sponsorship idents feature voiceovers from Sky Sports’ commentator Iona Stephen. Additional Sky Sports talent will be used within the ‘Audi Performance Zone’ and across the tournament coverage.

Tony Moore, Head of Marketing, Audi UK said: “Audi has established a reputation for redefining premium mobility through progressive technology, and partnering with Sky Sports is a natural fit for the Audi brand as we look to our partners to emulate our values. We’re excited to be launching our second year as Sky Sports’ Official Innovation Partner and to see the response from golf fans to the new ‘Force Plates’ and ‘Zen Eye’ innovations featured in the ‘Audi Performance Zone’.”

Sarah Jones, Director of Planning at Sky Media said: “We’re immensely proud to have Audi as the Official Innovation Partner of Sky Sports for the second year. Audi’s use of progressive technology and innovation to redefine the future of premium mobility aligns perfectly with Sky Sports’ own approach to delivering an unparalleled viewing experience for sports fans.

After the success of last year’s Power Meter, this year our innovation will get golf enthusiasts closer to the green. We’re delighted to be working together to develop new, ground-breaking technology to enrich fans’ viewing experience of the sports they love.”

Tom Rovery, Partnerships Account Director at PHD commented: “As the first-ever Official Innovation Partner of Sky Sports, the innovations developed through this collaboration are designed to enhance the enjoyment of live sports coverage, providing a relevant, immersive and attention-grabbing way to engage with fans by bringing Audi’s innovation stories to life in a sports context. The renewal of the partnership marks an important milestone for Audi and Sky Sports in further establishing their commitment to driving progress through technology.”

The partnership renewal and golf tech development comes off the back of a successful campaign in 2022 when Audi’s “Vorsprung durch Technik” fuelled Sky Sports’ most innovative Cricket format, The Hundred, with the Power Meter. The involvement of an Electric Audi, alongside top talent from football and cricket, connected Audi with Sky Sports’ huge audience and increased perceptions of Audi as an innovative brand.

All-new Range Rover Sport inspires innovative media collaboration with Sky Media

• Third Generation Range Rover Sport stars in ‘Spillway’, a new powerful brand film hosted by Sky Media
• The 7-minute cliff-hanger will simulcast across Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Premier League today, the first of its kind premier for a brand film with a UK broadcaster
• The large-scale campaign marks unique collaboration partner Sky Media, made possible through the mutual pursuit of innovation, and delivers three media-firsts moments
• New interactive voice-activation and QR shoppable capabilities compliment Land Rover’s digital transformation and its elevated online customer solutions

‘Spillway’ is a dramatic film that charts the new Range Rover Sport’s high-intensity ascent of a 193m dam spillway in Iceland against a torrent of water flowing at 750 tonnes per minute. The creative direction of the film was developed to echo the Luxury SUV’s emotive design, dynamic aesthetic and powerful, muscular proportions.

This powerful content demanded an innovative campaign partner to bring it to the world innovatively and with impact. Sky Media accepted the challenge and created a bespoke ecosystem for the media partnership, starting with a multichannel simulcast, the first of its kind for a brand film premiere with a UK broadcaster.

The film will simulcast across Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Premier League channels tomorrow ahead of the hugely anticipated Spurs v Arsenal game. In addition, a high-impact 30” TVC using Sky Media’s “shoppable” QR capability will promote Spillway during the half-time break, followed by another opportunity to see it immediately after Sky’s football show.

Anthony Bradbury, Marketing Director, Jaguar Land Rover UK said: “The launch of a new model, like the iconic Range Rover Sport is a pivotal moment for Land Rover, so we took this opportunity to take stock and look at its launch campaign with a fresh perspective. We wanted to create a moment that was as powerful and inventive as the new car, one that talks directly to our discerning customers. The brief we set our potential partners was intentionally wide as to not stifle creativity, so it was clear and exciting when Sky Media’s pitch came in and their ambition to set a new benchmark was in perfect synchroneity with ours.’’

The North London derby is expected to attract significant viewing figures on Sky Sports, offering a captive audience and natural synergy to seamlessly showcase the awe-inspiring driving challenge in the third generation Range Rover Sport with Official James Bond stunt driver, Jess Hawkins.

Steve Smith, Executive Director Content, Sky Sports commented: “It’s been fantastic to collaborate with Jaguar Land Rover to bring this epic stunt to Sky Sports customers. W Series driver Jess Hawkins stars in the challenge which will be showcased alongside our coverage of the north London derby on Thursday night.”

‘Spillway’ will be amplified by a tailored media strategy using a wide range of Sky Media’s market-leading capabilities and platforms. 30” and 10” TVCs will be used across linear TV, VoD, social and digital; while a 6” TVC for Sky Go and Short-form VoD will continue to promote the film across Sky platforms throughout May. A voice-activated traffic driver will be used for Sky Glass and Sky Q customers, and interactive QR code TVCs will be used for all other Sky customers; both will harness Sky Media’s AdSmart targeting capabilities to reach the core Range Rover Sport audience through the Experian Autos group.