Media Insider understands that at least a dozen roles within sales teams have been scrapped already. This number is likely to rise, but Sky has declined to confirm specific details.<\/p>\n
The changes come as sources said the publicly listed broadcaster was tracking below its combined Sky-Three advertising revenue budget in the early weeks of 2026.<\/p>\n
Sky TV now owns Three (TV3), and with it, the rights to shows such as Married at First Sight Australia. Photo \/ Channel 9<\/p>\n
Sky was sent questions about this assertion last week, but declined to comment specifically. In response to another question, it described the advertising market as \u201csofter\u201d.<\/p>\n
Notably, Sky TV hasn\u2019t made any market announcement about 2026 calendar-year revenue to date, meaning it does not believe that any shortfall is of material significance. That also seems to indicate that it is confident it can recover from any slow start to the calendar year.<\/p>\n
\u201cSky reports actual financial performance and provides forecast guidance to the market through formal disclosure processes,\u201d said a Sky TV spokeswoman, adding that the company took its continuous disclosure obligations seriously.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe will share verified information with investors at our [half-year] results [this] week, and will not be commenting on numbers or speculation outside of that process.\u201d<\/p>\n
Investors will hear how Sky has fared in the first six months of its financial year (July-December 2025) at the results announcement on Thursday, but much interest will lie in the company\u2019s current performance and outlook.<\/p>\n
Advertising roles cut<\/p>\n
Media Insider understands there\u2019s sadness, anger and resignation among some of those impacted by the sales team cuts and a nagging sense for some that former Three staff have been given preferential selection for new roles.<\/p>\n
Much of the anger stems from the viewpoint that former Three staff had come from a loss-making company, whereas Sky had been building its advertising revenue strongly before the Three acquisition, albeit off a lower base.<\/p>\n
Do you know more? Email Shayne Currie in confidence – shayne.currie@name.co.nz<\/p>\n
Media Insider also reported recently that there were suggestions from inside the company that most former Three staff believe they will be \u201cprotected\u201d.<\/p>\n
Sky TV chief executive Sophie Moloney and chairman Philip Bowman. Photo montage \/ Oliver Rusden<\/p>\n
Sky TV lost its respected sales leader Ben Gibb last year, in the wake of the $1 Three deal.<\/p>\n
Gibb walked into a leadership role at outdoor advertising company QMS.<\/p>\n
Sources told Media Insider that Sky chief executive Sophie Moloney had met Gibb since he left Sky, partly, they said, to pick his brains about the state of the advertising industry.<\/p>\n
The Sky spokeswoman said: \u201cIt\u2019s entirely appropriate for a CEO to maintain relationships with highly regarded people across the sector, and it\u2019s in keeping with Sophie\u2019s leadership style that she connected with him after he left Sky.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u2018A complex integration\u2019<\/p>\n
The Sky spokeswoman said that the company was \u201cprogressing a complex integration designed to position Sky for long\u2011term growth”.<\/p>\n
\u201cAt our ASM in November, we were clear that our priority is capturing the revenue growth opportunities ahead of us, particularly from FY27 onwards.<\/p>\n
\u201cAgainst the backdrop of a softer advertising market, it\u2019s important that we create a sales structure that positions the team to maximise revenue growth and generation.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Sky spokeswoman said Sky was focused on managing the sales team changes \u201ccarefully and respectfully\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs you will appreciate, with people changes from time to time at your company, it is a challenging time for those impacted, and our priority is to ensure we are focused on their clarity and wellbeing.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Sky sales team is now led by James Hole, a former Warner Bros Discovery sales leader. He reports to Juliet Peterson, the former boss of Three, who now sits on Sky\u2019s executive as chief business officer.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, it is understood some advertising agencies have been less than impressed with the way Sky has gone about communicating rate-card increases this year.<\/p>\n
One source suggested the company was too busy focusing on free-to-air revenue, at the expense of what they called more lucrative pay-TV pillars such as sport. Sky has a range of exclusive sports rights.<\/p>\n
The source said a show like Three\u2019s incredibly popular Married at First Sight Australia might be worth hundreds of thousands of dollars, but claimed that potential sports revenue was in the millions.<\/p>\n
Sky did not address specific questions about these matters, but another source challenged the assertion.<\/p>\n
HBO loss, Sky Sport cost increases<\/p>\n
The White Lotus and stars from the first season, such as Sydney Sweeney (Olivia) and Brittany O’Grady (Paula), will disappear from Sky TV’s Neon service this year. Photo \/ Supplied<\/p>\n
Sky TV\u2019s half-year results this week come amid other operational challenges.<\/p>\n