SKY AND XBOX AGREE PRODUCT PLACEMENT DEAL FOR SKY1 HD’s A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN
Sky and Xbox 360 have signed a product placement deal for the Kinect for Xbox 360 game Kinect Sports to appear in the pre-title sequence of Sky 1 HD’s sports panel show A League of Their Own.
The Kinect Sports product placement will feature from Friday 1st April 2011, becoming the first product placement deal to air on Sky.
CPL Productions – the producers of A League of their Own – Sky and Xbox have worked closely together to develop the show’s pre-title sequence which features its stars preparing to go on-air while members of the studio audience gear up in the backstage holding area by playing Kinect Sports the best selling Kinect for Xbox 360 game, which offers a fun, controller-free selection of football, bowling, boxing, volley ball, table tennis and track and field experiences for all the family.
The Kinect Sports product placement deal complements Xbox 360’s existing sponsorship of the series. Both sponsorship and product placement deals were negotiated by Sky and the media agency UM London on behalf of Xbox.
Jason Hughes, Head of Branded Content, BskyB, comments:
“We’re delighted to be able to build on our broadcast sponsor partnership with Kinect for Xbox 360 and Kinect Sports in this way, especially as it is the first product placement deal we’ve agreed to make it on air. Both Kinect Sports and A League of Their Own are all about people having fun with sport, and we look forward to working with Xbox to innovate and develop our relationship further over time.”
Adds Stephen McGill, Director of Xbox and Entertainment for Microsoft’s Reatail Sales and Marketing Division (UK & IR):
“Coming hot on the heels of Xbox’s sponsorship of Got to Dance 2, this latest sponsorship deal with Sky provides yet another highly innovative partnership opportunity. Kinect Sports is an ideal fit for A League of Their Own, and I’m sure viewers will be interested to see how the game has been integrated into the show.”
Phil Cresswell, Ideation Director, UM London adds:
“We’re really excited to be involved in the first ever product placement deal for Xbox in the UK. The new Ofcom regulations have opened up a great opportunity for us to work with broadcasters, partners and producers in the same way that we have been doing for a number of years across our European markets. Now we can build on our vast experience in this field and apply it more closely to home.”
For more information:
Matt Beake
Corporate Communications Manager
BSkyB
0207 905 8829
Matt.beake@bskyb.co.uk
About Sky
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