WBD and Sky Media expand partnership

Warner Bros. Discovery U.K. & Ireland and Sky Media, the advertising sales arm of Sky, have expanded their partnership.

From July 1, kids’ channels Cartoon Network, Boomerang and Cartoonito will be joining the Sky Media advertising portfolio. The three channels will join a line-up which already includes the Milkshake, Nickelodeon and POP brands from Narrative Entertainment and Paramount.

Sky Media will be the exclusive sales house for spot and on-demand advertising across Sky platforms and will sell sponsorship alongside Warner Bros. Discovery for Brands, the advertising sales arm of WBD.

The new deal with Warner Bros. Discovery U.K. & Ireland builds on the pair’s existing ad sales partnership, which has been in place since 2002. Sky Media currently sell for channels including Quest, Discovery, TLC, Food Network as well as BT Sport, soon to become TNT Sports, the joint venture with BT.

Sky Media meanwhile said it will be launching a new Kids Upfronts event in Q3, bringing together players across the agency, client and creative industries.

Brett Aumuller, Managing Director Sky Media, said: “We’ve always had a fantastic partnership with the Warner Bros. Discovery team and it’s great to enhance this further through addition of their Kids channels within our advertising portfolio. As both our businesses evolve at pace, we continue to work together, so that audiences and advertisers have exciting content and platforms to watch and engage with.”

Katie Coteman, GVP, head of advertising and partnerships, Warner Bros. Discovery UK & Ireland, said: “We’re really excited our fantastic portfolio of Warner Bros. Discovery kids’ content will be soon coming under the Sky Media advertising umbrella, growing our successful partnership further. Cartoon Network, Boomerang and Cartoonito are some of the most-loved kids’ channels in the UK & Ireland and this partnership with Sky Media will unlock opportunities to connect them with relevant brands.”