One of the UK’s leading brands for price comparison will sponsor Emmerdale as it heads towards its 50th anniversary.
The deal, with Confused.com, starting from July 18th, will offer sponsor accreditation on all broadcast episodes of Emmerdale, as well as all episodes of Classic Emmerdale on ITV3.
John Whiston, Managing Director of Continuing Drama, ITV:
“This couldn’t be a more fitting partnership. We’re delighted to welcome confused.com on board as a sponsor. Emmerdale is truly beloved and iconic, and as the soap enters its 50th year, what better time to hail a new commercial era.”
Originally a twice-weekly daytime soap, Emmerdale spent its first twenty years rarely making the ITV Top Ten programmes, and was branded ‘dull and boring’ by the press. However, it gained affection with many viewers and after a number of modernisation-revamps in the late 1980s – including a rebrand from Emmerdale Farm – it finally found its place as one of Britain’s longest-running, highest-rated and best-loved continuing dramas.
Currently, in a time of soap decline, the Leeds-based production entertains on average 5m viewers per episode, with 74 per cent watching ‘live’, currently six episodes every week, and over 450,000 weekly users catching up on the ITV Hub, it also, four nights a week up against BBC One’s EastEnders always tops it in the ratings.
Since launching in 2002 as a comparison site for car insurance, Confused.com has expanded its range of products to include home insurance, van insurance, motorcycle insurance, and car finance comparison, as well as a number of tools designed to save consumers money.
Later in the year, viewers will be able to stream Emmerdale on new platform ITVX – the UK’s first integrated advertising and subscription funded (AVOD/SVOD) platform.
Mark Trinder, Director of Commercial Sales and Partnerships at ITV:
“This is one of our biggest and most exciting brand opportunities yet. Confused.com is the UK’s first and longest-running comparison site for insurance. It’s a brand that the nation is so connected to, making the partnership even more special as Emmerdale marks its 50th anniversary.”
McCain Foods is the current, and so far sixth, sponsor of Emmerdale with the deal starting in 2014.
