By Sarah Johnson, marketingmagazine.co.uk, 25 August 2009, 08:30am

Rewarding viewers: Sky customers to gain special access to events at The O2

LONDON - Sky has signed a five-year deal with AEG to become a partner of entertainment venue The O2.

The broadcaster plans to launch a customer-reward programme as part of the deal. It will offer its subscribers access to special events, exhibitions and screenings in the venue as well as VIP benefits.

Details of the scheme have not been finalised, but it could take a similar approach to telecom-brand O2, which has a VIP bar area for customers and offers limited backstage access.

The partnership will also include live coverage of events to be broadcast on both TV and online. All screens within the arena will be converted to high definition (HD) and will be used to demonstrate Sky+HD services. A dedicated demonstration area will also be introduced to allow visitors to view Sky's forthcoming 3D TV service and Sky+HD.

Sky branding will be used across the venue, with a 3D-enabled cinema and hospitality area planned. Sky hope to have fully integrated its brand into The O2 by early 2010.

Brian Sullivan, managing director of Sky's customer group, says it will use the relationship to engage fresh audiences and reward customers.

Sky joins existing partners including Adidas, BMW and Coca-Cola. The O2 is an official venue for the 2012 Olympics, and will host both the gymnastic and basketball events.

AEG re-opened the former Millennium Dome as The O2 in June 2007. The venue has a 20,000-capacity indoor arena, which sold more tickets than any other arena in the world last year.

The venue also includes a second arena space, indigO2, which has a capacity of 2350. The O2 bubble is an exhibition space that recently hosted Gunter Von Hagen's 'Bodyworlds' exhibition. The British Music Experience is a permanent, high-tech, interactive music exhibition. There is an 11-cinema complex in the venue, as well as an 'Entertainment District' including bars, restaurants and the newly-opened, 2500-capacity nightclub, Matter.

Sky has 9.4m subscribers to its TV services. It recently announced it will launch a new 3D channel at the beginning of next year. This year it has been involved in a marketing push focusing on its HD set top box. 1.3m of its customers have subscribed to its HD service.