Sky hits bullseye with PDC partnership five-year extension, Google TV partners with Channel Factory, LIV Golf and ITV strike breakthrough deal...
1. Sky and the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) have announced a five-year partnership extension, which keeps Sky Sports as the home of darts until 2030, marking nearly 40 years of collaboration.
The new deal will include over 60 days of exclusively live coverage from the biggest darts tournaments every year including the PDC World Darts Championship, Premier League, World Matchplay, Grand Slam of Darts, World Grand Prix and World Cup of Darts.?
News Source Broadband TV News : https://www.broadbandtvnews.com/2025/02/05/sky-extends-partnership-with-the-pdc-to-2030/
2. Hearst Networks EMEA UK’s portfolio of factual entertainment channels, including Sky History, Sky History 2, Crime+Investigation and Blaze, will enjoy continued distribution across Sky and NOW in the UK and Ireland.
It follows an extension of the agreement between Hearst (the former A+E Networks) and Sky . The new deal includes linear channel distribution, video on demand,, and an extension of the media sales relationship with Sky Media, Sky’s advertising arm. Sky Media will exclusively represent Hearst Networks’ advertising sales, including linear, video-on-demand, AdSmart and sponsorship advertising.
News Source Broadband TV News : https://www.broadbandtvnews.com/2025/02/06/hearst-networks-uk-extends-sky-agreement/
3. LG Ad Solutions , the specialist in connected TV and cross-screen advertising, has announced findings from its study titled Stadium to Screen, which reports on the evolving habits of sports viewers across the UK, US and Canada.
The study reveals a shift toward connected TV (CTV) as the primary platform for live sports, signalling a new era in how fans engage with their favourite teams and athletes. With 74 per cent of UK CTV users now streaming live sports, the report sheds light on changing behaviours and opportunities for brands and streaming platforms alike.
News Source Advanced Television : https://advanced-television.com/2025/02/07/study-accelerated-shift-to-streaming-for-live-sports/
4. SK Broadband has announced it will provide AI-driven UHD in real-time broadcasting.
In what the company said is an industry first, it will provide the SPOTV sports channel in UHD (3840×2160) quality, an upgrade from its existing full HD (1920×1080) standard, according to a report on the Chosun Biz website.
Based on SK电讯 ’s SUPERNOVA solution, powered by deep learning AI algorithms, the integration of servers with AI graphics processing units (GPUs) will enhance video colour and clarity, raising the image quality and providing an improvement over current AI capabilities built into smart TVs.
News Source TVBEurope : https://www.tvbeurope.com/artificial-intelligence/industry-first-for-sk-broadband-with-ai-powered-real-time-uhd-broadcast
5. 谷歌 has selected Channel Factory as sales partner for Google TV.
The deal gives Channel Factory preferred access to Google TV Masthead ad units on Google TV and Chromecast with Google TV devices. The Masthead is the first ad unit viewers see on the For You tab on Google TV’s home screen.
There will be bespoke packages to target audience segments such as gender and age, as well as geo-targeting.
In addition, Channel Factory will offer advertisers opportunities for brand integration on tailored seasonal content and curated carousels on the home screen.
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News Source The Media Leader UK : https://uk.themedialeader.com/google-tv-signs-channel-factory-as-sales-partner/
6. British Film Institute (BFI) chief executive Ben Roberts notes, "the UK’s film and TV industries continue to be a powerhouse for creativity, investment and jobs", as figures showed spending in the sector jumped by almost a third last year to ￡5.6bn. Spending on high-end TV, and films made for streaming services, was up by a fifth to just under ￡3.4bn, as production rebounded following the US writers' and actors' strikes.
7. LIV Golf has struck a major television breakthrough after agreeing a new deal with ITV , starting with this weekend’s season-opening event in Riyadh.
Coverage of the Saudi Arabia-backed rebel tour means LIV will be the only free-to-air golf available in the United Kingdom, following the BBC ’s decision not to renew highlights of the Masters in 2023. That decision ?came seven years after the corporation ended live coverage of the Open.
“This is an exciting time for LIV Golf as we look ahead to the innovative 2025 season,” said Niall Sloane , director of ITV Sport. “This partnership delivers free-to-air coverage for fans and we are delighted to welcome LIV Golf to ITV Sport.”
News Source The Telegraph : https://www.telegraph.co.uk/golf/2025/02/06/itv-to-show-liv-golf-in-shock-free-to-air-tv-deal/
8. Total UK radio audiences grew 1.4% year-on-year to 50.2m, the Q4?RAJAR figures showed, while commercial radio listening was up 2% on a year ago but fell modestly from the previous quarter to 39.9m. Matt Payton , CEO of trade body Radiocentre , described the Q4 figures as “strong for commercial radio”. The Rajar figures show Global stations recorded a sixth quarter in a row of audience growth, while Bauer Media Group saw 0.5% year-on-year growth in total weekly reach.
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