The Carphone Warehouse dropped its £3m a year sponsorship of Channel 4's Big Brother in January in the wake of the Shilpa Shetty racism row. It takes over The X Factor from Nokia, which sponsored the first three series.
The X Factor returns later this summer with a new format that adds a fourth judge, a new category that splits the 14-24s into boys and girls and a new presenter, Dermot O'Leary who replaces Kate Thornton. Dannii Minogue and Brian Friedman join Sharon Osbourne and Simon Cowell as the new judges.
The sponsorship covers the show on ITV1, repeats and the Xtra Factor on ITV2, off-air broadband and interactive coverage and licensing and merchandising. Contestants will make guest appearances at Carphone Warehouse's 780 stores with the phone provider's customers getting exclusive content. CHI is producing sponsorship idents.
The third series of The X Factor averaged 8.3 million viewers and a 37.5% share of viewing on ITV1.
The final, won by Leona Lewis, attracted 10.8 million viewers with a 45.7% share.
The X Factor spin-off, Britain's Got Talent, ended its run last weekend with an average audience of 11 million with a 44% share of viewing for the final, won by amateur opera singer Paul Potts. The nine-night series averaged eight million viewers with a 33.6% share.
United Kingdom
Carphone Warehouse to back The X Factor
LONDON - ITV has signed up The Carphone Warehouse as sponsor of the fourth series of The X Factor in a three-year deal believed to be worth £20m.
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