Capital Spins Sponsorship Deal With Woolworths
High-street retailer Woolworths has extended its sponsorship of radio chart show Hit 40 UK until 2006, in a deal that covers the programme as it is syndicated across numerous commercial radio stations and on Channel 4’s latest music television show.
The deal, which is believed to be the biggest radio sponsorship deal in history, was brokered between Capital Radio Group and ZenithOptimedia. Capital does not own Hit 40 UK, but is responsible for selling airtime, sponsorship and promotions for the show on behalf of the CRCA.
Commenting on the sponsorship extension, Rob Corlett, Hit 40 UK‘s managing director, said: “It’s great that, 18 months in to our partnership, Woolworths are extending their commitment to the show. The potential we all saw in a relationship between the biggest chart music retailer and the biggest chart show is now really developing, with the Woolworths sponsored Hit 40 UK television launch the next step in the evolution.”
Capital Radio claims that Hit 40 UK, which is presented by Simon Hirst and Katy Hill, is the UK’s most listened to chart show, with its core audience of 15 to 24 year-olds now exceeding that of Radio One for the first time.
Woolworth’s original sponsorship deal gave the fledgling chart unrivalled presence on the high-street, with in-store branding appearing in all 827 Woolworths and Woolworths Big W stores. Designed as a replacement for the Pepsi Chart, Hit 40 UK features greater interactivity through a series of off-air brand extensions, including a website and an SMS text club.
The Hit 40 UK format will soon be extended onto television, with Channel 4 targeting the BBC’s Top Of The Pops Saturday and ITV’s CD:UK with a 30-minute video-led programme carrying Hit 40 UK branding and counting down the chart as used by commercial radio stations (see Channel 4 To Have A Pop At BBC Music Programming).
Capital Radio: 020 7766 6000 www.capitalradiogroup.com
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