ITV In Poll Position With Formula One Sponsorship
ITV has secured the Daily Telegraph as the exclusive £4.5 million sponsor of its coverage of the forthcoming Formula One season.
The deal includes broadcast sponsorship of the eighteen races due to be screened on ITV1 between March and October. It also includes a highlights package on ITV2 and branding on the channel’s Formula One website.
The new agreement follows Toyota’s decision to pull out of the event last year halfway through a £25 million deal with ITV, leaving the broadcaster with less than six months to find a replacement sponsor.
The reduced price paid by the Daily Telegraph could reflect a decline in the popularity of Formula One, which has seen viewing figures dip recently. However, ratings picked up last season with a peak of more than 13 million viewers tuning in to watch the Brazilian grand prix.
The Daily Telegraph will support its sponsorship with a series of marketing activities including a Formula One Fantasy Game and a special Formula One supplement previewing this year’s season.
Commenting on the deal, Brian Barwick, controller of ITV Sport, said: “We are delighted to welcome a newspaper of such significance to the Formula One ITV family. Their coverage of motor racing has always been of the highest quality and we look forward to a fruitful partnership.”
Mark Dixon, marketing director at Telegraph Group Limited, added: “As one of Britain’s highest profile sports, Formula One is a superb fit with The Daily Telegraph – It is also hugely popular with existing and potential readers so we are delighted to be sponsoring ITV’s Formula One coverage for the 2004 season.”
The deal was negotiated by ITV’s recently appointed head of sponsorship and branded content, Gary Knight, along with Keith Impey on behalf on Active Sports Marketing, a new venture between Active International and Sports Media Limited (see ITV Sales Appoints Knight To Lead Sponsorship Division).
ITV: 020 7843 8000 www.itv.com Telegraph Group: 020 7538 5000 www.telegraph.co.uk
Recent Television Stories from NewsLine Digital Television Tops 10 Million Homes For First Time Continued Growth To Push Freeview Past Cable Television Channel 4 And Five In Discussions Over Possible Merger
Subscribers can access ten years of media news and analysis in the Archive