Honda To Sponsor ITV Formula 1 Coverage

Honda is to be the new sponsor of the 2007 Formula 1 on ITV, starting with the Australia Grand Prix on March 17.

The integrated partnership, negotiated and to be delivered by Starcom+ the sponsorship arm of Starcom Mediavest Group, will include broadcast sponsorship of races, qualifying programmes on ITV1 and highlights on ITV4 as well as for the first time ever interactive coverage featuring exclusive Honda and F1 content. The deal also includes sponsorship of www.itv.com/f1.

ITV is the exclusive UK broadcaster of the Formula 1 Championship in the United Kingdom, with live coverage of each of the seventeen races on ITV1.

Ian Armstrong, manager for customer communications, Honda (UK), said: “This sponsorship allows us to expand our sporty platform to the large audience that F1 attracts and enables us to expose the viewer to many more stories about Honda’s passion for racing and some of the people that live out that passion every day.”

Gary Knight, brand partnerships director at ITV Customer Relations, said: “We are delighted to confirm Honda as this season’s sponsor for ITV’s F1 coverage.

“This is a great endorsement in ITV’s high quality sports programming and Honda will be exploiting all the opportunities available to reach F1 fans through the sponsorship of ITV’s unique interactive and online content.”

The idents will be produced by Honda’s creative agency Wieden and Kennedy and will build on Honda’s sporty credentials through their indisputable passion for racing.

ITV: 020 7843 8000 www.itv.com