Sky to slash gambling ads to one per break
The UK media giant will introduce a maximum limit of one gambling advert per commercial break from August 2019
Sky TV has pledged to cut the number of gambling adverts it shows to one per commercial break, including during live sports broadcasts.
The pay-TV media company will impose the new limits from the start of the 2019-20 Premier League season next August and is the first commercial broadcaster in the UK to introduce a clampdown on gambling ads.
Public unease at the amount of gambling adverts shown during live sporting events is well documented, and these concerns have been echoed by the industry in recent months with Paddy Power, William Hill and GVC all calling on the government to introduce restrictive legislation.
Sky Betting & Gaming (SBG) executive chairman Richard Flint this morning welcomed the announcement. “Sky’s announcement to limit the number of gambling ads to one per break is surely a step forward,” he said.
“Most agree there are too many gambling ads at the moment. Some think there should be none. I think it’s important that companies adhering to high standards of player protection should be allowed to advertise so we can use this ‘carrot’ to raise standards, particularly in the use of tech and data to inform and protect the vulnerable.
“Sky’s announcement that customers will be able to ‘self-exclude’ from seeing gambling ads on TV is also a step forward. I am no expert, but from those that I have spoken to, there is no one perfect solution to stopping gambling for those that have issues.
“Being able to block TV ads may help, in a small way, alongside Gamstop, the gamban app and banking blocks from the likes of Monzo,” he added.
3/6 Sky's announcement to limit the number of gambling ads to one per break is surely a step forward (https://t.co/BYNcRdLYQy). Most agree there are too many gambling ads at the moment. Some think there should be none. I think its important that companies adhering to high…
— Richard Flint (@YorkshireFlint) November 5, 2018
Former UK culture minister Tracey Crouch, who resigned last week over the government’s delay in reducing the stakes of fixed odds betting terminals (FOBTs), told the industry to curb their own advertising practices if their concern was indeed genuine.
In September she tweeted: “If industry leaders think that there are too many advertisements then don’t commission them. Government need not be involved.”
But the rebuttal was that competition law would not allow for operators to cut down on their own advertising output and that media corporations would be reluctant to reduce the amount of gambling advertising as it is such a key revenue driver for most channels on UK television.
Sky has broken the mould over the weekend by slashing the number of gambling adverts it will broadcast per commercial break to a maximum of one, down from four at the current time.
The self-imposed restrictions will likely cost Sky tens of millions in annual advertising revenues. Gambling output accounts for approximately £200m per year in UK ad sales, with Sky thought to control nearly half of the market, with ITV, Channel 4 and BT its main competitors.
In response to Sky’s announcement, GambleAware CEO Marc Etches said: “For some time GambleAware has been raising concerns about the relationship between football and gambling.
“Specifically, we are concerned that the amount of gambling-related marketing on television and online serves to normalise gambling for children, and we have commissioned research into its impact that will be published in 2019.
“In the meantime, broadcasters, clubs and advertisers all have a role to play in helping to make people aware of the risks of gambling and where to find help and support if it is needed.”
A UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) spokesperson told EGR Intel: “We welcome steps being taken by Sky to address public concerns about gambling advertising.
“We are bringing together senior leaders from over 100 gambling companies to look at how they can work together to make gambling fairer and safer, including considering the approach they take to advertising.”
As well as sports betting, all forms of gambling, including bingo and online poker, will be covered by the new restrictions.
In another landmark move, Sky will also allow viewers the chance to exclude gambling adverts from commercial breaks entirely from 2020.
In September, EGR Marketing asked whose responsibility it is to stem the flow of gambling advertising.
More to follow.