Channels are starting to use 'Brought to you by'

I've noticed this on Sky Sports, Sky News, Sky Movies and Bloomberg. When did the rules change to allow this term to be used in the UK to announce sponsors of a programme or feature?

This term has always been used in the US and in Canada and Australia. EuroNews have also used it for sponsored segments.

I wonder whether this has anything to do with the standardization of EU TV rules?

Also notice alot more programmes including the sponsors name in their title, the latest being "Tranmission from T Mobile" on C4.

I think it's alot to do with programmes being directly funded by sponsors.


P.S. Talking of T-Mobile, Digital Spy are reporting their interactive ad campaign on Freeview has been a massive hit! Well, not noticed it at all myself! Anyone seen it?

I tried it. Nothing exciting to be honest- but I like the idea.

Meh?

i don't like this at all.

Remember that show ITV used to have where Carol Vorderman used to go and wreck two houses in the same street? It's sponsor logo used to spin round into the opening titles (they were the same design). Now this I didn't like either.

I think sponsor bits should be distinctly seperate from the titles, breakbumpers and credits and shouldn't be of a similar design either. It's just wrong.

I guess it works better for the advertiser though - as soon as you mentioned it, I recalled it was Homebase that sponsored that show.

Talking of sponsor messages etc, how come you get the little "Philips" logo appearing occasionally at the bottom of World Cup score astons during the game? I’m talking about the BBC graphics here (not any host broadcaster feed or anything). Why would they have to show a supplier’s name?

Anyone know the rules surrounding this? It’s the same with companies like Timex, Unisys or IBM at things like the London Marathon and athletics etc.

it's the same as the embassy world championship and stuff. it's a sponsored event so if you show if you need to show the logos.

The BBC was host broadcaster for the commonwealth games and they still had the Microsoft logo on their graphics.

Sports events are different in that usually they cannot go ahead without a sponsor. Therefore it is usually written into the broadcasting contract that the sponsor should be mentioned.

Examples:

888 World Snooker Championship (leaving off the .com I noticed)
Barclays Premiership and CocaCola Championship
RBS Six Nations / RBS Man of the Match
Flora London Marathon


Interestingly it's completely the opposite in the US. Instead of individual teams, sports or championships being sponsored, it's the programming elements and the stadia. For example, no MLB, NHL, NBA or NFL team has a sponsor emblazoned on their shirt. Nor does any team have a sponsors name. However the San Francisco Giants play at AT&T Park (which to be honest we dont see much of over here, save the Walkers Stadium, JJB Stadium and the Emirates Stadium), and ESPN's Sunday Night Baseball is "brought to you by" Taco Bell. Individual graphics and elements such as K-Zone (think Hawkeye), Home Field Advantage and Passion for Excellence (individual stats bundled together that showcase a particular team) are all individually sponsored.

So it could be worse. You could be watching the snooker when the "Diet Dr. Pepper Break Count" flips onto your screen, or the "Virgin Atlantic Minutes To Be Added On" comes on as 45 minutes comes up in a football match

BBC show their graphics at the exact time as the international feed. For example, when the international graphics show the score the BBC will show the same thing but in their design.

I'm guessing they show the Philips logo because the information on the graphics is powered by them.

In the same way that the BBC show the IBM logo on the wimbledon graphics because IBM deal with and power the statistic collection and distribution.

I can see them doing it on all channels soon, it's a quick a smart way of mentioning your sponsors without having to do a 10 sec sponsorship bumper before the programme starts.

I know there were alot of complaints about the Chelsea Flower show on the BBC being introduced as the "Chelsea Flower show in association with Saga Insurance".