Digital: ITV seals tie with MySpace

by Gareth Jones, Marketing 21-Feb-07

ITV has struck a deal with MySpace to make a selection of exclusive programme content available to the site's UK users.

Britain's biggest commercial broadcaster has launched a branded MySpace
section to promote Comedy Cuts, the late-night ITV2 series featuring
performances from 50 up-and-coming comedians.

MySpace members can access a range of Comedy Cuts content, including

exclusive video clips and biographies of the performers featured in the
show.

Users can also sign up to become a Comedy Cuts friend and personalise
their own MySpace page with clips from the series.

ITV plans to take advantage of the increasing popularity of MySpace to
generate a community of interest around the 10-part comedy show. It also
intends to tap into the site's user base to uncover talent for the
second series of Comedy Cuts.

The ITV-branded MySpace page has been created by digital agency Siren,
which was recently appointed by Five to develop branded mobile content
packages for the broadcaster's sponsorship offering.

The MySpace partnership forms part of a wider ITV strategy to make its
programme content available across emerging digital platforms. The
broadcaster will relaunch its website next month as a video-on-demand
platform, offering access to its most popular shows.

Other UK broadcasters are racing to have their content included on
MySpace. In December, Channel 4 secured a deal to broadcast E4 drama
Skins on the social-networking site prior to its debut on the digital
channel (Marketing, 20 December).