News UK Signs Absolute Radio Deal
Absolute Radio is set to utilise their Rock N Roll Football Show – the station’s home of live Barclays Premier League commentary – in a ten-month deal to promote News UK’s exclusive digital rights to screen Barclays Premier League goals and highlight videos.
The six-figure agreement brokered by M/SIX, News UK’s media agency will combine on-air, online and mobile advertising packages.
The deal follows Sky Sports 12-month sponsorship of the wider Rock N Roll Football brand earlier this week.
In conjunction with the contract extension of the radio show’s star line-up, lead by Sun columnist and Arsenal legend Ian Wright, the deal was bolstered by the station’s recent announcement that their match commentary will now also be available on 105.8FM in London.
News UK will gain from exposure on FM in addition to platforms including Digital Radio, 1215AM, online at absoluteradio.co.uk and Absolute Radio’s free smartphone apps.
Absolute Radio holds the rights to exclusively broadcast 32 Barclays Premier League matches in the traditional 3pm Saturday slot, whereas The Sun and The Times newspapers, owned by Murdoch’s News UK, will show video highlights of games excluding matches kicking off at 3pm on a Saturday.
The rights deal ensures that both holders coverage will not conflict, which allowed the brands to agree on an initial on-air ad buyout at 17.20pm every Saturday throughout the course of the season.
News UK are entitled to show eight thirty-second videos from each game, as they happen and videos from those games will be available from 5:15pm using the newspapers’ subscription-based Smartphone and tablet apps.
Sixty-second highlights clips from each match will appear online on Monday mornings and stay up for a week on The Sun and The Times’ websites.
News UK’s digital football highlights will also receive on-air exposure via top and tailed advertising on Absolute Radio from 15.45pm to 17.45pm every Saturday, while branded ‘Goal Flashes’ will be broadcast on Sundays and Mondays with pre recorded trails to be played every Monday between 10am – 4pm.
Absolute Radio’s head of sponsorship Emma Smyth said: ‘This commercial partnership with News UK is a fantastic compliment to our fourth Premier League season. With lead sponsor Sky Sports also secured for another year we’re in great shape and are currently in discussion to fulfil more promotional properties for brand partners within our football offering.’
Coverage will kick off with live Barclays Premier League commentary of West Ham v Cardiff City on Saturday 17th August on Absolute Radio.
