News International and BSkyB to combine ad offerings

News International, the owner of The Times, and satellite broadcaster BSkyB are planning to offer clients a combined ad package as part of an initiative to exploit the two companies' connections. An inside source claims that the scheme, dubbed Fusion, does not indicate a permanent sales partnership but will allow the two companies to offer "a set of assets that complement their clients' marketing strategies".

News International's parent company, News Corporation, also owns 39% of Sky, and the companies have collaborated on advertising campaigns before. However, the new arrangement will not affect existing agency arrangements with the two, and their sales teams will remain separate. "It is a way of trying to bond the assets where possible," says the source.