Nokia to sponsor celebrity The X Factor spin-off

LONDON - Nokia has extended its deal to sponsor ITV1's 'The X Factor' by getting behind the celebrity spin-off version of the show, 'The X Factor: Battle of the Stars', as well as sponsorship of the third series of the original.

The series, presented by former Smash Hits editor Kate Thornton, will be judged by the usual panel of Simon Cowell, Sharon Osbourne and Louis Walsh, who will be judging the singing talent of a line-up of the UK's hottest celebrities, understood to include: Chris Moyles; Jordan; Sol Campbell; former 'Hollyoaks' actress and Girl Thing singer Jodie Albert; and Paul Daniels along with wife Debbie McGee.

Simon Lloyd, head of marketing at Nokia UK, said: "'Battle of the Stars' promises to be a fantastic twist on what is already a hugely successful format, and Nokia is thrilled to be working again with ITV and 'The X Factor'.

"Watching celebrities face a Simon Cowell dressing-down will have us all glued to our TV screens."

The deal comes as ITV looks to boost its sponsorship revenue by as much as 20%, as part of an effort to offset falling advertising revenues.

'The X Factor: Battle of the Stars' will bring a much-needed Saturday night ratings boost after ITV1 suffered its worst Saturday audience share at the weekend, largely because of the success of BBC One's FA Cup Final coverage of Liverpool v West Ham.

Only 11.8% of viewers tuned in to ITV1 on Saturday compared with 36.4% who watched the BBC. The BBC figures included a peak of 11.3m who saw Liverpool lift the trophy after a penalty shootout. The corporation also benefited from the continuing success of the return of 'Doctor Who' who on Saturday faced the return of the Cybermen, which pulled in 8.6m.

As part of the sponsorship deal, Nokia has full off-air rights around the shows which includes integration within the official website, sponsorship of the official X Factor Tour, as well as off-air promotional rights.

In addition, Nokia will be supporting the sponsorship with a high-impact, through-the-line marketing campaign.

Mark Rosenegk, controller of sponsorship and branded content at ITV Sales, said: "The relationship between 'The X Factor' and Nokia is one of ITV's highest-profile and effective sponsorships, with an integrated package utilising all available media. The extended break bumpers will now allow Nokia to get an even stronger message across and the new series 'Battle of the Stars' makes 'The X Factor' franchise highly marketable across almost 12 months of the year."

The Nokia 3250 will be the flagship handset for 'The X Factor: Battle of the Stars', and will feature in a series of specially created break bumpers themed around "a new angle on music".

Club Nokia members will also get the opportunity to win live show tickets, exclusively signed merchandise and an opportunity to view exclusive footage.

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