Channel 4 has signed five ad-tech partnerships to expand access to its premium advertising inventory, adding Amazon Ads, FreeWheel, Hawk, PubMatic and Yahoo DSP to its programmatic sales network.
The deals open Channel 4's video-on-demand ad inventory to more buying platforms, giving advertisers more ways to buy campaigns around its programming. The move is part of a wider strategy to make that inventory easier for agencies and brands using automated buying tools to access.
Under the new set-up, buyers will be able to access inventory across Channel 4 programmes in real time and target campaigns against specific audiences and viewing contexts. All campaigns will continue to comply with Clearcast rules, as well as Channel 4's own creative and ethical standards.
The move follows a recent expansion of Channel 4's relationship with Google Display & Video 360, which allows Google Audiences to be overlaid on Channel 4 inventory. That offer was developed with Omnicom.
The latest agreements come as broadcasters widen the number of demand-side and supply-side platforms through which advertisers can buy connected TV inventory. The Amazon DSP integration will place Channel 4 programming alongside other streaming services available to buyers on that platform, including Prime Video, Netflix and Disney+.
Inventory on Amazon DSP is scheduled to become available in the third quarter. Channel 4 linked the launch to its strongest first-quarter streaming audience on record in 2026.
Elsewhere, inventory will be sold through PubMatic Activate, described as a direct-to-supply activation platform for premium guaranteed and private marketplace deals. Channel 4 inventory is already live on FreeWheel Buyer Cloud, giving buyers immediate access through that system.
Yahoo DSP is also due to provide access to Channel 4 inventory, while Hawk, owned by Azerion, will support programmatic buying across the broadcaster's premium environments. Additional demand-side platform access is expected in the coming months.
Rak Patel, Chief Commercial Officer at Channel 4, said the expansion reflected advertiser demand for broader programmatic access.
"In response to market demand for greater flexibility and scale in programmatic, these integrations perfectly align with our advertiser-led, agency-aligned strategy and our commitment to continuous innovation. By making Channel 4's distinctive content and rich audience insights available through these partnerships, we're making it easier than ever for brands to plan and activate campaigns with real impact," Patel said.
Amazon Ads said the arrangement gives advertisers another route into streaming audiences in the UK.
"Channel 4 is one of the UK's most iconic broadcasters, and this integration gives advertisers a powerful new way to reach streaming audiences at scale. By removing complexity from video planning and buying, brands can focus on what matters most: connecting with the right audiences at the right moment," said Phil Christer, Managing Director, UK, Amazon Ads.
Other platform partners also highlighted growing demand for broadcaster inventory through programmatic channels.
"This partnership with Channel 4 represents another important step in making premium broadcaster inventory more accessible through programmatic channels. Advertisers want the ability to reach audiences across trusted, high-quality environments while maintaining control, transparency and measurable outcomes. Through Hawk, brands can now seamlessly activate campaigns across Channel 4's premium content, unlocking new opportunities to engage viewers at scale and drive meaningful business results," said Audrey Boisumeau, VP Enterprise Solutions UK & US, Hawk.
"Partnerships like this demonstrate what's possible when premium broadcasters and technology platforms come together. By integrating Channel 4 into FreeWheel Buyer Cloud, we're enabling a more connected, customisable and data-driven way to transact - helping to simplify how advertisers access premium, global inventory, while preserving the quality and standards that make broadcaster video so valuable," said Laurence d'Août, VP, Sales, FreeWheel.
"Channel 4 carries 40 years of audience trust and some of the UK's most distinctive content. We are proud to bring that inventory directly to buyers through Activate, programmatically, at scale, with full control over brand environment. Together, we are making it easier for advertisers to reach the audiences they want, in one of the UK's most respected broadcasting environments," said Emma Newman, CRO, EMEA, PubMatic.
"Partnering with Channel 4 gives advertisers even greater access to premium, trusted content in one of the UK's most valuable viewing environments. By bringing Channel 4's high-quality inventory into Yahoo DSP, we're helping brands plan and activate more connected campaigns with the scale and flexibility they need to reach the audiences they want," said Alice Beecroft, Senior Director of Global DSP Strategy & Partnerships, Yahoo.