ITV Believes In Better Sporting Sponsorship

ITV has announced an exclusive interactive TV partnership with beer brand Heineken, boosting the company’s recently announced sponsorship of the UEFA Champions League.

From the first games of the new season, which starts on 13 September, Heineken will become the sole sponsor of ITV’s interactive coverage via digital satellite. Viewers opting to press the red button will be offered the chance to win tickets to the games, and access further football-related content.

The season-long partnership was brokered by ITV Sales and MindShare and will run across ITV1 and ITV2. The promotion will make its debut during the Chelsea vs. Anderlecht and Real Betis vs. Liverpool games on Tuesday 13 September.

Building on the beer brand’s message that customers should “Believe in Better”, Iain Newell, marketing director at the company explained that the new activity pairs Heineken with ITV’s enhanced sports coverage. He said: “Our sponsorship of the UEFA Champions League, the premium football tournament, is rooted in our belief in better football experiences. The partnership with ITV takes this association even further – by offering enhanced content, we hope to enrich the viewing experience.”

The UEFA Champions League is one of ITV’s hottest properties, with recent TNS research suggesting that almost 30% of Sky Digital viewers have pressed the red button during ITV’s coverage.

Peter Manten, commercial manager at ITV Interactive Sales said: “For the first time, we have been able to offer a truly integrated interactive sponsorship proposition where the Sponsor’s marketing message is woven within the content of the service, creating relevance and a deeper brand fit, whilst still offering an engaging viewer experience.”

Heineken’s activity will make use of a “watermark” branding underlaid on every page, as well as its own branded sponsor area and return path for usage data and consumer interaction.

ITV: 020 7843 8000 www.itv.com