Sun strikes sponsorship deal with Sky’s Soccer AM
The Sun is launching a heavyweight advertising campaign and sponsoring Sky Sports’ flagship magazine show Soccer AM to promote its “wide ranging” football coverage.
The move comes as tabloid rival Daily Mirror signs a deal with Irish-owned broadcaster Setanta Sports, the only broadcaster beside BSkyB to air Premier League football, to sponsor its online sports coverage and Saturday football supplement Mirror Mania.
The Sun, owned by News International, takes over from Nissan as sponsor of Soccer AM and will use the Saturday morning show to leverage its new strapline “Football. We’re all over it”.
The paper is understood to be paying a “substantial” six-figure sum as part of the deal. The sponsorship also covers the “Best Bits” highlights show and online.
Sponsorship idents have been created by Brothers and Sisters, the Sky Sports roster agency. Last month The Sun started a review of its advertising business held by Euro RSCG. It is unclear which agency created the TV and outdoor ads for its new football-themed campaign.
Soccer AM returns to Sky Sports this Saturday (August 16), with former BBC London presenter Max Rushden joining Helen Chamberlain as co-host. Before Nissan, hair- styling brand Brylcreem sponsored the show for two years.
It is unclear what marketing activity the Trinity Mirror-owned title is planning to support its football content.
Setanta Sports sponsored the Daily Mirror’s Saturday Mania pull-out last year for the first time, to underline its status as a broadcaster of Premier League football. It won the right to air 46 games from the 2007/08 season after the European Commission threatened Sky with legal action if it did not break its monopoly on the Premier League.
