IDS has promoted agency sales associate director Andrew Atkinson to director of sales, reporting to executive sales director Martin Plant.
In his new role, Atkinson takes on more of the senior negotiating responsibilities previously handled by Nigel Johnson, who died last October.
IDS is currently recruiting for the new sports ad sales team, which will report to Guy Martin, associate director of commercial development.
A team of three sports ad sales managers is to be brought in to lead the development of sales around Setanta Sport’s broadcast content and Virginmedia.com’s online sports content.
The company believes there is significant ad sales potential around the football content on Virginmedia.com.
The portal owns exclusive rights to online highlights coverage from the Premier League and Championship football matches.
Managing director James Wildman said: “This is the jewel in our crown, but we haven’t given it as much support as we could.”
Wildman said IDS would now “fish in a bigger pond” for advertising revenue, targeting gambling companies as well as existing agency clients.
He said: “We are not just looking at sponsors, banners and spots – we can talk about licensing and ad-funded programming.”
The new sports ad sales hub will focus on the vertical ad sector, with Setanta and Virgin Media’s online activities providing cross-platform opportunities.
IDS claimed Virginmedia.com was the biggest UK provider of streamed online video behind YouTube.
Wildman added: “We want to be far more sports-oriented in our approach. This is a first for ad sales houses. We are bringing in new resources in the form of a specialist sports team introduced as an overlay to our existing sales structure.”
IDS could similarly build up entertainment or lifestyle sales teams to concentrate on broadcast and online ad sales deals.
“We have fantastic product and now we need to put the ad sales efforts behind that,” said Wildman.
IDS’s focus on sport comes as the company gears up to sell ads around third-party websites. Currently, the firm sells around Virginmedia.com, but it also plans to sell ads around TV partners’ websites.
The company aims to offer online ad deals around categories such as female lifestyle encompassing channels suchas Living TV, UKTV Style and their respective websites.
In his new role, Atkinson takes on more of the senior negotiating responsibilities previously handled by Nigel Johnson, who died last October.
IDS is currently recruiting for the new sports ad sales team, which will report to Guy Martin, associate director of commercial development.
A team of three sports ad sales managers is to be brought in to lead the development of sales around Setanta Sport’s broadcast content and Virginmedia.com’s online sports content.
The company believes there is significant ad sales potential around the football content on Virginmedia.com.
The portal owns exclusive rights to online highlights coverage from the Premier League and Championship football matches.
Managing director James Wildman said: “This is the jewel in our crown, but we haven’t given it as much support as we could.”
Wildman said IDS would now “fish in a bigger pond” for advertising revenue, targeting gambling companies as well as existing agency clients.
He said: “We are not just looking at sponsors, banners and spots – we can talk about licensing and ad-funded programming.”
The new sports ad sales hub will focus on the vertical ad sector, with Setanta and Virgin Media’s online activities providing cross-platform opportunities.
IDS claimed Virginmedia.com was the biggest UK provider of streamed online video behind YouTube.
Wildman added: “We want to be far more sports-oriented in our approach. This is a first for ad sales houses. We are bringing in new resources in the form of a specialist sports team introduced as an overlay to our existing sales structure.”
IDS could similarly build up entertainment or lifestyle sales teams to concentrate on broadcast and online ad sales deals.
“We have fantastic product and now we need to put the ad sales efforts behind that,” said Wildman.
IDS’s focus on sport comes as the company gears up to sell ads around third-party websites. Currently, the firm sells around Virginmedia.com, but it also plans to sell ads around TV partners’ websites.
The company aims to offer online ad deals around categories such as female lifestyle encompassing channels suchas Living TV, UKTV Style and their respective websites.
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