LONDON — Two years after it launched, UK satellite TV operator Sky’s addressable TV technology has hit some milestones.
The AdSmart system was a long time coming, but has already begun to change change the market. Amongst the numbers, head Graeme Hutcheson revealed at a Beet.TV recorded panel:
- 5,000 campaigns placed to date.
- almost 1,000 advertisers so far.
- 40% of advertisers are completely new to TV.
- 3 billion ads served, to 75% completion.
The system launched with a plan to help small, local businesses, especially, buy targeted, localised TV ads in linear broadcasters. It worked by pre-storing ad creatives on viewers’ set-top boxes. But it has since grown to connect to time-shifted DVR viewing plus both the live and on-demand experiences of Sky’s SkyGo online player as well.
Hutcheson has bought traction for Sky’s AdSmart by helping some smaller advertisers to fund their own creative, overcoming a business lull observed nine months ago.
“We launched a £500,000 ad fund to help completely-new-to TV-advertisers come to market,” he says. “You can get a good 30-second ad for under £5,000. It’s not the barrier we anticipated.”
He says smaller ad buyers are shifting budget from local press, local radio and local TV because: “You can get a good 30-second ad for under £5,000.”
Hutcheson was interviewed by MTM London founding director Jon Watts.
This video was produced in London as part of our Addressable & Advanced TV Summit hosted by Sky Media and presented by FreeWheel and Invidi. Please visit this page for additional segments from the event.
