EDF Energy To Sponsor Boat Race On ITV

EDF Energy will sponsor the 151st Annual Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race on Easter Sunday, aired for the first time on ITV, after the broadcaster won the exclusive broadcast rights from the BBC for last year.

The deal with EFD Energy includes sponsorship of two programmes, a one-hour factual documentary on Saturday 26 March and coverage of the live boat race the following day.

ITV won the five year rights from the BBC in February last year, after the Corporation claimed the prestigious sporting event had become too commercial (see ITV Snatches Boat Race Broadcast Rights From BBC).

The BBC said it had decided to end its fifty year association with the boat race in the light of the organiser’s desire to pursue a highly commercial agenda for the event by seeking to generate more sponsorship revenue.

Commenting on the new sponsorship deal, John Morris, EDF Energy’s London 2012 programme director said: “We are delighted to have this opportunity to extend our London 2012 campaign, through this broadcast sponsorship deal with ITV.”

He continued: “The boat race allows us to build on the association we have already established for our London 2012 campaign through our perimeter board activity at high profile televised sporting events such as premiership and cup football, rugby internationals and athletics.”

Andy Thompson, controller of sponsorship and branded content at ITV Sales added: “It’s great to attract a new sponsor for this landmark sports event on ITV. All with shared brand values of power, strength and determination, EDF Energy are the perfect partner. We look forward to developing the relationship still further later in the year.”

Only nine months after the BBC lost the rights to televise the boat race, Chrysalis-owned talk radio station, LBC, signed an exclusive five year deal to broadcast the annual event (see ITV Snatches Boat Race Broadcast Rights From BBC).

ITV: 020 7843 8000 www.itv.com

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