Tesco Whoosh to sponsor Channel 4 comedy strand

14 December 2023

Channel 4 Sales has secured Tesco Whoosh as the new sponsor of its ‘Channel 4 Comedy’ strand of programming. The innovative deal marks the first time Channel 4 has included YouTube inventory as part of a sponsorship and a first foray into TV sponsorship for Tesco Whoosh – the grocery retailer’s own rapid delivery service.

Tesco Whoosh was initially launched in 2021 to provide even more ways for Customers to shop with greater ease and convenience; offering Customers the chance to order from a curated list of easy-to-prepare meals, ingredients and more to arrive, store to door, from as little as 20 minutes. Serving up to two-thirds of the Nation already, Tesco Whoosh has surpassed its ambitious targets, with plans to continue the rollout of the on-demand service to serve even more households, nationwide, on-going.

Commencing from January, Tesco Whoosh will sponsor around 90 hours of premiere programming in 2024 across Channel 4, E4 and More 4. Tesco Whoosh will also feature on Channel 4’s social platforms, including brand presence on a selection of Channel 4 comedy clips carried on Instagram and Facebook.

The sponsorship showcases the innovative cross-platform solutions Channel 4 can offer brands. Building on the first-of-its-kind partnership with YouTube, struck in 2022, whereby Channel 4 directly sells commercial opportunities around its shows on the platform, Tesco Whoosh will feature on Channel 4 comedy content on YouTube. The deal also allows Tesco to use a ‘Channel 4 Comedy sponsored by Tesco Whoosh’ logo lock up in selected promotional materials.

Spanning Channel 4’s comedy strand, the sponsorship will cover favourites such as Taskmaster, The Last Leg, 8 out of 10 Cats Does Countdown, The Windsors and I Literally Just Told You. In addition, the sponsorship covers catch up comedy programming across Channel 4 streaming as well as of classic on demand archive content such as Peep Show, The Inbetweeners, Derry Girls, Spaced and Friday Night Dinner.

Channel 4 Sales and EssenceMediacom brokered the deal. EssenceMediacom’s insights into demographics highlighted that comedy resonated well with Tesco’s target audience, with the Channel 4 platform providing the ideal always-on solution to raise awareness of its offering while connecting people to the content they love.

Rupinder Downie, sponsorship and commercial partnerships leader, Channel 4 said: “This sponsorship opportunity promises year-round value. Channel 4 is renowned as the 'Home of Comedy,' boasting a coveted audience of young and upscale viewers. With our ability to offer brands presence on YouTube and Meta platforms, allied to a quality line-up of programming, this deal highlights once again why Channel 4 is the best partner to do business with.”

Lauren McGurran, Business Director, Tesco Planning, EssenceMediacom: “We’re thrilled to have helped this partnership come together; opportunities like this are perfect for building Tesco’s reputation as one of the UK’s most beloved supermarkets and engaging with new consumers. Channel 4 comedy has a reputation for producing some of the funniest content on television, and this sponsorship, including presence on the channel’s social media platforms, will provide Tesco with new, innovative ways to break through to younger audiences.”