Channel 4 poaches Paramount’s £300m-plus TV ad sales business from Sky

By the Editorial Team · Wednesday, September 16, 2026

Channel 4 has taken over Paramount’s UK television advertising sales, valued at over £300 million, from Sky, marking the first joint ad sales deal between Channels 4 and 5. This shift strengthens Channel 4’s commercial position and comes amid Sky’s efforts to gain regulatory approval for its ITV acquisition, while also addressing past underpayment issues to Paramount.

Channel 4 has secured Paramount’s UK television advertising sales business, valued at over £300 million, taking it away from Sky in a significant development for the broadcaster. The agreement, announced in September 2026, comes shortly after Channel 4 revealed plans to cut 340 jobs, marking the largest reduction in its workforce since its inception.

Under the new arrangement, Channel 4 will handle advertising sales for Channel 5, Paramount’s primary ad revenue source in the UK, as well as promotional slots for brands including MTV, Comedy Central, and Nickelodeon. This partnership represents the first time that advertising for these two public service broadcasters has been sold jointly. However, the deal excludes the advertising sales for Paramount’s streaming service Paramount+, which features programming such as Yellowstone, MobLand, and UEFA Champions League matches beginning next year, and the free ad-supported Pluto TV.

Priya Dogra, Channel 4’s chief executive, described the collaboration as an “exciting partnership” that unites advertising for Channels 4 and 5, creating an enhanced proposition for advertisers based on the strength of public service broadcasting. She emphasized that the alliance would offer advertisers streamlined access to a broad portfolio of trusted brands and expanded audiences, while also generating new commercial opportunities for the two broadcasters. Dogra highlighted that the increased revenues would support further investment in British programming.

Reemah Sakaan, president of Channel 5, characterized the deal as “a historic partnership between two British broadcasters,” reinforcing the significance of the collaboration.

The loss of this business marks a setback for Sky but may improve its prospects for regulatory approval of its £1.6 billion acquisition of ITV’s television and streaming assets. The merger would result in the combined entity controlling over 70% of the traditional TV advertising market in the UK, including digital sales on broadcasters’ streaming platforms and third-party inventory sales such as Channel 5’s ad space. This dominant market share would leave Channel 4 as a distant second player with around 26%. Sky and ITV have argued that the competition authority should adopt a broader market definition, which would lower the combined market share to just over 30% of the overall video advertising market.

Insiders say the decision by Paramount to move its ad sales business to Channel 4 was driven by commercial considerations. The move follows revelations in 2024 that Sky Media, Sky’s sales division, had miscalculated revenues owed to partners dating back to 2017, resulting in about £300 million in underpayments. Paramount and Channel 5 were the most adversely affected partners. According to Channel 5’s annual reports for 2023 and 2024, Sky has since reimbursed Paramount approximately £98 million in relation to these discrepancies.

This article was reported by synthesizing coverage from multiple independent news outlets to present a balanced, unbiased account. Read about our editorial standards. Spotted an error? Let us know.