RTÉ Media Sales has secured Vodafone X as the sponsor of critically-acclaimed comedy series The Young Offenders, the second series of which will be broadcast on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player.
The first series of the hit show had an average audience of over 415,000 viewers on RTÉ2 and an average of 200,000 streams per episode on RTÉ Player.
As well as sponsoring The Young Offenders, Vodafone X is also partnering with RTÉ on the creation of a bespoke content hub for RTÉ Player. The Comedy Channel will be a curated section on the RTÉ Player featuring a selection of comedy content.
The deal, brokered by Wavemaker, will begin in September and includes 72 TV stings (including initial broadcast, +1 and repeat) and a takeover of the Comedy Channel on RTÉ Player with sponsorship stings and pre-roll ads.
According to Ruth Kennedy, TV Sponsorship Lead, RTÉ Media Sales:“We are delighted to welcome Vodafone X on board as sponsors of the brand-new series of The Young Offenders. Series one was a massive hit for RTÉ and hugely popular with our younger audiences, so we can expect more laughs and adventures from the loveable rogues Conor and Jack in series two. Vodafone are already well established as big supporters of Irish Comedy so The Young Offenders on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player is the perfect fit for this unique brand. We look forward to a successful partnership.”
Paul Carton, Head of Consumer Brand, Vodafone adds: “We are proud to forge this new and innovative relationship in comedy with RTÉ. Designed for an 18-24 audience, our Vodafone X plan is unique and market leading, and our sponsorship of The Young Offenders will engage directly with this target group. The continued success of the first series shows that there is a real appetite amongst young Irish people for real Irish comedy. In addition to the sponsorship of the second series of the show, our sponsorship of the first-ever dedicated content strand on the RTÉ Player, recognises that we are talking to an audience of streamers as well as viewers. Vodafone X will help deliver a broad range of curated comedy content through the Player which is both easy to locate and easy to consume.”
