Sky takes online offering up a gear with new website

aimed at a wide audience. News and features are also a major part of the
site.

Editorial on the site will be run by Alistair Weaver, who has worked for
What Car? and Autocar, and on ITV1 show Pulling Power.

Paul Wright, director of sales at Sky Digital Media, will handle the
commercial side of the venture. Wright said that the widespread use of
video on Sky's motoring site would open up a new range of ad
opportunities. As well as having multimedia content throughout the site,
there is a section dedicated to images and videos.

Sky's launch of a motoring site follows a year of significant investment
in its online offering. The broadcaster has sought to offer content and
ad opportunities beyond its main sites - Sky News, Sky Sports and Sky
One - by developing a series of online destinations around Sky.com, its
central portal.

In July, Sky collaborated with PropertyFinder.com and Dating Direct.com
to launch property and dating sites (Media Week, 24 July, page 14), as
part of a strategy of partnering with prominent websites.

The broadcaster is keen to build on the seven million-plus unique users
that access its sites every month, according to online measurement firm
comScore, and has other web developments in the pipeline.

Sky's online activity this year has also extended to its agency
relations. The broadcaster moved its multi-million-pound search account
from independent digital agency I-Level to Diffiniti and Unique Digital
in August, although the rest of the firm's digital media spend remains
with I-Level.

Digital agency MediaBurn built the website, while Guerrilla aided the
broadcaster in editorial and video content.