Programme sponsorship
Sponsorship does not buy contacts in a commercial break; it buys an association with a programme. The sponsorship message runs right before or after the programme or around its parts, away from competing spots. Viewers link the brand to content they watch by choice — at the cost of stricter rules on what the message may say.
What we deliver
- Programme selection by viewer profile and fit with the brand
- Negotiation of the sponsorship package, number and length of messages
- Checking the message against the legal rules for sponsorship
- Coordinating broadcaster approval and artwork delivery
- Evaluating sponsorship reach in audience data
A sponsorship message is not a spot
Broadcasting law requires a sponsored programme to be clearly identified as sponsored. A sponsorship message may present the brand, logo or product but must not directly encourage purchase — so no prices, discounts or “buy now” calls.
The creative is therefore made differently from a spot: short, visual, with a memorable link between brand and programme. The broadcaster approves the message before airing and sends it back if it contains spot-like elements. We check it before that happens.
What cannot be sponsored
News and current-affairs programmes cannot be sponsored. Some advertisers face limits too — prescription-only medicines may not feature in sponsorship at all, and special rules apply to alcohol and food supplements.
On ČT1, sponsorship is the only form of commercial communication, since the channel has carried no commercial advertising since 2012. For brands that want to reach its viewers, it is the only route.
Frequently asked
- Can a sponsorship message include a price or discount?
- No. A sponsorship message must not directly encourage purchase, so a price, a discount or a call to buy cannot appear in it. It may present the brand, logo, product and its link to the programme. Price messages belong in a standard spot in the commercial break.
- What does programme sponsorship cost?
- It depends on the programme, its ratings, the length of the sponsorship and the number of messages — broadcasters usually sell sponsorship as a package. Send the inquiry form and we will find the concrete options.
Related services
TV advertising
Buying commercial airtime on national and thematic channels in rating points against your target audience.
Read more →06Special formats and product placement
Longer presentation formats, product placement and broadcasters’ special offers that take a brand outside the standard break.
Read more →09Radio sponsorship and partnerships
Sponsoring shows, competitions and joint projects with stations — the brand as part of the programme, not just a spot in the break.
Read more →