ITV regions sign 1.3m sponsorship deals

A flurry of regional sponsorships worth 1.3m have been signed by ITV companies, including five weather slots.

Yorkshire Electricity has struck the largest deal, spending 700,000 to sponsor YTV’s 25-weekly weather forecasts to promote its brand during the countdown to deregulation of the electricity market in 1998. The deal was negotiated by Laser.

Meanwhile, ferry operator Stena Line is to take over as sponsor of Meridian’s weather forecast, replacing furniture retailer The Suite Centre from April. The ferry company is using the sponsorship to promote its new corporate name.

Jag Communications, the mobile phone retailer, is to sponsor the local weather on Westcountry. And HTV and Anglia are each close to finalising deals with new regional sponsors for weather reports, the companies’ sales house TSMS claims.

Other new deals include a four-year deal from Northern Hydro to sponsor Grampian’s Top Club game show. Also, Lakeside Security is to sponsor Crimestopper on HTV. Persil is to sponsor light entertainment show Kelly on Ulster Television. All have been negotiated by TSMS.

“Regional sponsorship has been overlooked in the past,” says TSMS sponsorship manager Charles Morley-Hall. “Advertisers have been put off because all they see are the costly network deals.” While local sponsorship is worth as much to STV as national deals, the market remains generally under-exploited, he adds.

Britannia Music is to sponsor ITV’s coverage of the Brit Awards for the third year running.