Emmerdale signs bet365bingo

Idents created by Drummond Central will run across 'Emmerdale' content on all ITV platforms, including online and mobile sponsorship bumpers on ITV Player, from 12 March.

'Emmerdale' averaged 7.6 million viewers, a 34.7% share of the audience throughout 2011, and peaked at 9.2 million viewers and a 34.7% share of the audience on 8 December.

The deal was negotiated by ITV Commercial, Drummond Central and Republic of Media, and will begin when current sponsor Tombola, which has been sponsoring Emmerdale since November 2009, ends its run in March. 

Jason Spencer, business development director at ITV, said: "As their first foray into TV sponsorship, this is a huge broadcast opportunity that can be exploited across ITV's various platforms in this momentous year of the soap's 40th anniversary.

"The audience and the values of the show very much embody the target market and brand values of bet365bingo, and we look forward to an enduring and successful partnership."

This article was first published on mediaweek.co.uk