Search engine giant Google announces a deal with United Kingdom media site BSkyB, creating a global partnership.
The deal will be Google’s first global partnership of it’s kind, providing users with an increased range of services and launching the search engine’s television advertising campaign in the United States.
Customers of both companies stand to benefit greatly, as BSkyB customers will be able to access all the features of Google, including their branded search engine, GMail, and video-sharing website.
New services made available to Google users by the merger are Sky’s TV, HD, Sky+ digital video, and broadband services.
BSkyB’s ambition is to be the leading entertainment choice in the UK and Ireland, according to their site. Currently the company has more than 8 million customers, the equivalent to almost one in three households in the UK and Ireland.
In the United Kingdom, the media site already has quite a following. There were 1.55 million Sky+ customers, as of July 28, 2006, which is equivalent to nearly one in five Sky digital households.
Together, the duo hopes to conquer “future forms of web, TV and mobile advertising”. According to the terms of the deal with Sky, Google is capable of obtaining viewer habit information, from the set-top boxes of the satellite broadcaster, to determine target advertising.
Google is already trying its hand at several forms of advertising, including print and radio. With the use of Sky technology to obtain information on viewing habits, the transition into the television advertising market would be much smoother.
BSkyB chief executive, James Murdoch stated, “Sky is on track to build a large and successful broadband business and is increasingly well positioned to participate in the rapid growth of online search and advertising.”
Together, the team should be able to extend their respective reaches across the Atlantic.
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Autmn Davis is a staff writer for Murdok covering ebusiness and technology.
