ITV To Switch Off Channels For An Hour
ITV will be switching off all seven of its channels for an hour next weekend to encourage people to get off their sofa and take part in sport.
As part of the wider ‘I Am Team GB’ campaign, ITV, ITV2, ITV3, ITV4, ITVBe, ITV Encore and CITV will cease broadcasting at 9:30am on the 27th August.
The move was organised with the National Lottery and when the channels go off air, sports clubs across the country will open their doors to allow people to try new sports for free.
Olympic athletes, including long jumper Greg Rutherford, will take part in the initiative on the Bank Holiday weekend. The Coronation Street and Emmerdale sets will be hosting events along with the Copper Box Arena in London, Glasgow National Hockey Centre and Sport Wales National Centre in Cardiff.
Sally Cowdry, consumer & retail director at Camelot, said: “No one contributes more to our elite Olympic and Paralympic athletes than National Lottery players. Every time our players buy a National Lottery ticket they are helping support the over 1,300 athletes as they prepare for Rio 2016 and beyond. We are delighted to have created this unique partnership with ITV, to celebrate National Lottery players’ vital contribution to our athletes’ success, so that they can be proud to say ‘I Am Team GB’ too.”
Simon Daglish, ITV, deputy managing director, commercial said: “When it comes to big, brave ideas that change people’s behaviour it can’t come much bigger than switching off the ITV network to get the nation out of their homes and doing something active. Thanks to this unique partnership between ITV and The National Lottery I think 27 August is going to be one of the great fun events of the year.”
Bill Sweeney, CEO, British Olympic Association added: “‘I Am Team GB’ will be the country’s biggest ever sports day inviting participants from all the Home Nations to share in the performances of Team GB athletes at Rio 2016 and be inspired to get active. The National Lottery is a key partner and the work they undertake with the British public to fund athletes’ pursuit of Olympic competition and achieve medal success is vital. We firmly believe that this will be a meaningful way to celebrate success and be a unique opportunity to engage in sport and activity in this country across many forms.”
Liz Nicholl, chief executive of UK Sport, said: “National Lottery funding has been a real game changer for high performance sport in this country and has already helped athletes fulfil their dreams and win an incredible 633 Olympic and Paralympic medals. We are confident there will be countless more inspirational moments at Rio 2016 to make the nation proud.
“This innovative partnership demonstrates our strong commitment to delivering ever greater social benefit from our sustained investment in Olympic and Paralympic sport and we look forward to people the length and breadth of the United Kingdom coming together to get active and celebrate the success of British athletes in Rio.”
Image: ©Getty Images
