Sky Media UK is deepening its partnership with global ad tech company The Trade Desk, giving advertisers new ways to buy premium TV and Video on Demand (VOD) ads through a private marketplace (PMP) for the first time.

The move allows brands to use real-time bidding to reach Sky’s high-quality VOD content across TV, mobile, and tablet devices. This includes popular platforms like Sky Go, NOW, and TNT Sports on Discovery+, with Sky Glass and Pluto expected to join later this year.

Sky Media’s new Sports Marketplace will also roll out soon, offering advertisers ‘Multi-Event Packs’ featuring live sports such as football, tennis, golf, and rugby. These will complement new ‘Always On’ live sports PMPs available exclusively through The Trade Desk, including biddable access to live football for the first time.

Advertisers will also benefit from expanded programmatic access later this year.

Dan Cohen, Director of Transformation and Strategic Programmes at Sky Media, said: “It’s our aim to make it as simple as possible to connect advertisers with our premium entertainment and sports content. Expanding into biddable gives brands the flexibility and control they want, with the brand-safe, premium content they need.”

Advertisers will gain enhanced data insights,including geographic, device, and genre data,across connected TVs, desktops, and mobile. With frequency capping on The Trade Desk, the partnership is designed to improve reach and viewer experience.

“Sky Media’s commitment to data-driven innovation marks a major milestone for the UK TV industry, bringing programmatic access to Sky’s premium content with greater transparency, flexibility, and targeting than ever before,” said Sven Hagemeier, GM Inventory Development EMEA at The Trade Desk.

“As the first media buying platform with access, The Trade Desk is partnering with Sky Media to make TV advertising more accessible for brands with enhanced targeting capabilities to reach audiences with precision and scale.”