Nintendo Wii has signed up as the exclusive broadcast sponsor for 'Gladiators', giving it exposure during the 15 one-hour-long primetime shows.
Nintendo will also have opportunities for brand communication during spin-off programmes 'The A to Z of Gladiators' and 'Gladiators Ready! The Gladiators Story'. It will also sponsor Sky's on-demand content of the show.
'Gladiators', which originally appeared on ITV in the 1990s, will air on Sky One and Sky One HD from early May, and will let members of the public compete to win the £50,000 prize.
Nintendo activity will include opening and closing idents, as well as bumper ads at either end of commercial breaks. The brand will appear in promotional trailers for 'Gladiators', which will air on Sky's channel network, and online at the 'Gladiators' microsite.
The show is being presented by Ian Wright and Kirsty Gallacher, who are joined by original presenter John Anderson. It will see 32 competitors take on a series of challenges, including The Joust, The Wall, Hang Tough and The Eliminator.
Rob Lowe, Nintendo's senior product manager, said: "The sense of fun, entertainment and energy embodied by Gladiators is something which clearly resonates with our own brand. And in what's set to be one of the most talked about shows of the summer, we are looking forward to reaching a broad family audience through one of the highlights of Sky One's primetime schedule."
Dominic de Terville, Sky Media's sponsorship controller, said: "We are delighted to welcome Nintendo Wii to Sky One, particularly as there's such a sound strategic fit between the show and the brand."
The sponsorship deal was negotiated by Damien Gillman at Mediaedge:cia and the idents are being produced by creative agency Karmarama.
Earlier this month Sky unveiled the 12 Gladiators who will appear in the show, labelling them as "bigger, badder and better than ever before". They include Battleaxe, Destroyer, Panther, Oblivion and Spartan.
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