The People's Friend signs up to sponsor ITV Afternoons

ITV Commercial has today announced that The People's Friend, the magazine published by DC Thomson featuring short-stories and serial fiction, is the new sponsor of Afternoons on ITV3.

ITV3 is the second-largest multichannel in the UK, and the home of ITV's crafted drama collections including programmes such as Poirot, A Touch of Frost and Rising Damp. The broadcast sponsorship will span from 14:00 to 19:00.

Ellis Watson, CEO Publishing at DC Thomson, said: "The People's Friend and ITV3 are ideal partners. 'The Friend' is synonymous with great storytelling through our short-stories and serial fiction content and we'll be able to share this with millions of viewers.

"Known affectionately as the Famous Story Magazine, The People's Friend will complement the treasured and timeless drama aired by ITV3 admirably. We're confident that this partnership, which is indicative of the committed marketing investment in our magazine titles, gives The People's Friend an unmatched opportunity to engage with our current readers and with potential readers from the ITV3 audience in a relevant and interesting way".

Kate Glover, Account Sales Manager at ITV, said: "We are thrilled to have The People's Friend as our new sponsor of ITV3 Afternoons and look forward to the brand's expertise in storytelling brought to life through the partnership idents. ITV3 is a fantastic platform and we hope this is the beginning of a long-running and successful collaboration".

Leigh Alexander, Director at SPP Media, said: "We are delighted to be working in partnership with The People's Friend and ITV at such an exciting time for both brands. The People's Friend is part of family owned DC Thomson, which has been trading successfully for well over a hundred years.

"The ITV3 Afternoons sponsorship will provide The People's Friend with an excellent opportunity to explore new ways of engaging its audience who have become loyal to ITV3. We're looking forward to seeing the brand grow and become synonymous with the new ITV3 brand over the next year".