by Dana Lee on 21st Jan 2026 in Video Interviews

In this episode of A Coffee With… Pippa Scaife, director of digital advertising at Sky Media, joins ExchangeWire’s head of content John Still over their third and fourth coffees of the day for a chat about all things TV, sports, and digital.

Tune in as they discuss the fragmentation of TV, community and entertainment-based viewership, and how brands can reach audiences in the shifting landscape.

The Fragmentation of TV

Rather than a singular entity, TV now lives and breathes on multiple channels and platforms. Sports is a good illustration of this fragmentation as a whole—while linear viewing continues to grow, digital has significantly expanded audience reach, creating new opportunities for brands and advertisers.

"I think the core of my job really is to think about how consumption has shifted and where audiences live. and why they go to the platforms that they do when they do and ultimately how we create great content and align brands to that great content in a way that takes advantage of that shifting landscape. So it's a very unhelpful way of answering the question, I suppose, because the short answer is: I don't think about the TV landscape at all."

The Growth of Sports Fandoms

Despite this fragmentation, linear viewing for sports is still growing. Last April saw Sky Sports' biggest viewing day in history, with 7.5 million people tuning in. New audiences are entering the ecosystem: female viewership is up 9% year-on-year, with women now constituting 30% of Premier League viewership on Sky and growing at a steep trajectory.

Impact of digital on sports

Algorithms have created a cycle where digital discovery drives interest, in turn leading to increased viewing for a wider variety of sports. On YouTube, darts viewership saw 90% year-on-year growth from 2024 to 2025; boxing grew 70%, and Formula One 40%.

The growth in sports fandoms has also seen a push towards digital for shorter clips, highlights, and moment-based commentary. Digital engagement augments the traditional viewing experience, turning it into a multi-channel, community-driven event. Fans use social platforms to be part of the live conversation, recreating the 'water cooler moment' in a new and different way.