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Sky Sports News signs WhatsApp for UK’s first live news branded integration

In 2021, WhatsApp launched a new feature, View Once, letting users send photos or videos that can only be opened by its recipient once. Their goal was twofold: raise awareness of the View Once feature and increase association between the brand and privacy protection.

With insight that football player transfers are often negotiated privately on WhatsApp, before being communicated to Sky Sports’ own reporters, we had a unique opportunity to integrate View Once into Sky Sports’ exclusive coverage. So, as part of a highly-ambitious (industry first) Sponsorship, we pulled off a live product placement activation:

It’s 21:48pm…Deadline Day window is nearing closure, the tension and buzz in Sky Studios is palpable as some big transfer news is imminent… Cut from an ad break to the specially-integrated title sequence featuring Sky Sports News’ talent having their breaking news delivered through WhatsApp View Once… Social influencer Harry Pinero is live in the studio with Jamie Redknapp… Unscripted and by the seat of its pants… Jim White’s yellow tie has been replaced by the eponymous green of WhatsApp… View Once playing an intrinsic role in the dramatic end to the transfer window by enabling the sharing of news privately for players, managers and fans alike.

This momentous occasion gave fans the inside scoop on transfers simulcasting across TV and social – all live – and post-campaign research revealed a hattrick of results across key brand metrics including: increased awareness of ‘View Once’, strengthened trust of WhatsApp and agreement that ‘WhatsApp allows you to message privately’.

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