B&Q to sponsor C4 property shows

Home improvement retailer B&Q has signed up to be the sponsor of 4homes, Channel 4’s property strand, in a deal worth an estimated £5m. The sponsorship begins from January 1 next year.

This will be the “biggest ever TV sponsorship deal” for B&Q, according to the DIY chain.

The sponsorship will include Grand Designs, Property Ladder, Location Location Location and Relocation Relocation. The new year will also include new property programmes “in response to the changing property climate”.

The sponsorship deal will run across C4, More 4, TV and PC VOD and channel4.com/4homes.

Jo Kenrick, B&Q’s marketing and customer proposition director, says: “This is one of our biggest ever TV sponsorship deals, and an exciting move. Positioning B&Q alongside quality property programming will continue to encourage consumer re-evaluation of the brand.”

The deal was negotiated by Newcast, a division of ZenithOptimedia, on behalf of B&Q, which is part of the Kingfisher group.

Earlier this week, B&Q announced that it is launching a new advertising campaign that signals a return to using real-life store staff. The campaign has been created by JWT. B&Q first used store staff in its advertising in 1996.