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Unilever has signed Europe’s biggest advertiser-supplied

programming deal, paying around dollars 10 million for the rights to the

film library of Columbia Tristar, which the advertiser will now swap for

airtime on Channel 5.

The deal, which will last several years, gives Channel 5 the UK

broadcast rights to more than 100 Hollywood movies, including In the

Line of Fire, Sleepless in Seattle and Philadelphia. In return, Unilever

secures further airtime on the channel and underlines its new strategy

for a more creative approach to advertising and media buying.

The deal was structured by Edwin Sharpe, the media controller at

Unilever; the advertiser-funded programming specialist, Malcolm Grant

Associates; Channel 5; and Unilever’s media agency, Initiative

Media.

As well as strengthening its programme line-up, the initiative also

allows Channel 5 to use up the airtime that would have been allocated to

the clients of the media agency, Carat. None of Carat’s clients have

been advertising on Channel 5 this year after the two parties failed to

agree terms for an airtime deal.

Nick Milligan, Channel 5’s sales director, said: ’We have been unable to

secure terms with Carat, so we’ve moved our business on through this

deal with Unilever. This has been a case of too much stick, not enough

Carat.’

Columbia said it is now looking at other ways of working with Unilever.