ITV Secures LG Electronics As Formula One Sponsor

ITV has secured LG Electronics as the sponsor of its Formula One season, running across ITV1 and ITV2 in an integrated deal worth around £3.5 million.

The deal includes broadcast sponsorship of all race and qualifying programmes on ITV1, and highlights on ITV2. The deal also includes sponsorship of www.itv.com/f1 and online viewer competitions.

ITV’s dedicated website features round-the-clock news and views on Formula One, drawing over half a million unique users and 10 million page impressions every month.

ITV exclusively covers Formula One live in the UK, with races forming a pivotal part of the network’s sporting portfolio. This year’s season kicks off on 6 March in Melbourne and will run until October with a record 19 Grand Prix events this year.

Commenting on the sponsorship, James Jeong, President LGE UK said: “We are delighted to be able to associate our brand and products with ITV’s first-class Formula One programming. LGE is a leader in the innovation and development of cutting-edge technologies and the audiences that F1 on ITV delivers are an extremely good fit with our individual brand profiles right across our product range.”

Mark Sharman, ITV’s controller of sport, added: “I’m delighted that we have such a high-tech sponsor in LG Electronics – it reflects the sophistication of Formula One and ITV’s state-of-the-art coverage.”

ITV Sales has stated its intention to add value to the traditional 30-second spot commercial by delivering unique advertising solutions including broadcast sponsorship, branded content, online advertising, text services, interactive advertising, “advertainment” and off-air marketing such as merchandising and licensing.

Last year ITV1’s Formula One races averaged around 3 million viewers, with the US Grand Prix peaking at 5 million viewers. Meanwhile, the British Grand Prix at Silverstone pulled in 3.6 million viewers and a 35% share which was up 14% year on year. In total 36.9 million viewers watched some part of ITV1’s coverage of Formula One with 73% of Men watching during the season.

ITV: 020 7843 8000 www.itv.com

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