Broadband
Sky invests $10 million in DataXu
MUMBAI: After recently investing in OTT video company TV4 Entertainment and online video aggregator Pluto TV, Sky has now invested $10 million in Boston based programmatic marketing analytics, data management and media activation software company DataXu.
DataXu partners with advertisers and media agencies to help them engage more efficiently and effectively with consumers across all of their devices. DataXu’s expertise in programmatic marketing – the automated, data-driven planning and trading of advertising across multiple media devices and formats – benefits Sky as both an advertiser and investor. The DataXu platform has the capability to analyse and optimise buying decisions on over 100 billion digital advertising opportunities every day around the globe.
Sky’s advertising sales division, Sky Media, will also work closely with DataXu to explore a number of new opportunities, including: extending the reach of Sky Media’s revolutionary product, Sky AdVance; leveraging DataXu’s market-leading experience in helping advertisers to buy addressable TV ads programmatically; and harnessing the power of data and analytics to drive superior marketing results.
Sky Media has a strong track record of innovation. In 2014, it launched Sky AdSmart, a product designed to make TV advertising effective for niche or smaller brands. Sky AdSmart serves different ads to different households watching the same programme, showing the most relevant ads as guided by data from profiling experts.
This was followed in 2015 with the introduction of Sky AdVance, which allows advertisers to connect journeys across screens so that audiences see the right ad, at the right time, in the right sequence and on the right screen.
Sky Media deputy MD Jamie West said, “This investment will help us develop a deeper understanding of programmatic advertising, and play our part in shaping the market as it progresses. Combining Sky’s knowledge, experience and innovation in advertising with DataXu’s programmatic marketing expertise will provide exciting opportunities for both businesses, and most importantly, for Sky’s advertising partners.”
“This strategic investment allows DataXu to partner with a true, global leader in television and media. DataXu and Sky have strong alignment on the future of programmatic and advanced television; and this investment ensures our two companies continue to learn and grow together,” added DataXu co-founder and CEO Mike Baker.
Sky also has investments in US technology companies, including the online sports network Whistle Sports, IP streaming service provider Roku and cinematic virtual reality company Jaunt.
Broadband
Zoff Foods extends Shilpa Shetty partnership into ninth year
Spice brand reinforces trust-led positioning amid growth and funding push.
MUMBAI: Nine years, one flavour and the recipe clearly still works. Zoff Foods has extended its long-running association with Shilpa Shetty, marking nine consecutive years of her as brand ambassador as the company scales its presence across Indian households. What began as a digital-first collaboration has gradually evolved into a defining element of the brand’s identity. Over nearly a decade, the partnership has mirrored Zoff’s own journey from an emerging challenger to a fast-growing FMCG player with a widening footprint across e-commerce, quick commerce and offline retail channels.
The logic behind the continuity is straightforward. In a category where trust and familiarity drive purchase decisions, particularly in spices and ready-to-cook segments, long-term associations tend to carry more weight than short bursts of visibility. Shetty’s positioning as a fitness-conscious, health-aware public figure aligns with the brand’s emphasis on purity and quality factors that are increasingly shaping consumer choices in modern Indian kitchens.
The extension also comes at a time when Zoff Foods is entering a more aggressive growth phase. The company recently raised $2 million in a Pre-Series B funding round led by JM Financial Private Equity, with participation from Aman Gupta, signalling a push towards expanding distribution, product innovation and market reach.
Company executives have positioned the continued partnership as a strategic anchor amid this expansion, reinforcing brand recall while entering new markets. For Shetty, the association remains rooted in shared values around authenticity and ingredient integrity attributes that resonate strongly with increasingly mindful consumers.
In a market crowded with new-age brands and shifting loyalties, Zoff’s approach suggests a different playbook: build slowly, stay consistent, and let familiarity do the heavy lifting. Because sometimes, in both branding and cooking, it’s not about reinventing the dish, it’s about perfecting it over time.
