Downton Abbey to be sponsored by P&O Cruises

The third series of the hit drama Downton Abbey will be sponsored by P&O Cruises.

In mid-August, P&O cruises announced that they’d be sponsoring hit TV show Downton Abbey. At the start of each episode Idents (short films) featuring the company will be aired. These will also be shown during either side of the advertisement breaks. The films will make use of real footage, shot directly on a P&O Cruises holiday, and aim to advertise how much these offer. The films will present various different elements of a P&O Cruises holiday and should be attractive to those who have never experienced such a trip. The footage will invite viewers to find out more information by logging onto the P&O Cruises website and to explore for themselves the full range of holidays on offer. One lucky viewer will even get the chance to win a cruise!

Speaking about the new sponsorship venture, P&O Cruises managing director Carol Marlow said:

“We are delighted to sponsor such a celebrated programme as Downton Abbey. We know that many of our passengers and potential passengers watch Downton Abbey and we are excited to bring P&O Cruises to life for this vast audience.”

“Smash Success”

Downton Abbey has been a smash success and become a household name in the United Kingdom. It has won a string of awards, and entered the Guinness book of records as the most critically acclaimed television show of 2011.  Its gripping plotlines and excellent cast have consistently managed to attract huge numbers of views. The most recent series saw an average 11.8 million viewers, constituting a 38% audience share. This number grew to 12.4 million viewers on 6th November 2011, which is a significant 41% share of the audience. It is calculated that the Downton Abbey Christmas special was one of the most-viewed programs shown on Christmas Day, seeing a very large audience of 11.6 million viewers.

“Downton Abbey was the most watched drama of 2011 and has achieved a fantastic 16 nominations for the upcoming Emmy awards. It is with great pleasure that we are able to announce that P&O Cruises will be the new sponsor of this drama phenomenon, and we look forward to working with them to deliver an engaging multi-platform partnership for the coming series.”

– ITV Account Sales Manager, Mike Barrett

About P&O:

P&O Cruises are marked their 175th anniversary earlier this year.  The company has a fleet of seven ships which offer holidays tailored to British tastes.  Guests can expect great service, an attention to detail, world class entertainment and wonderful food. P&O’s motto is to ensure  passengers have the holiday of a lifetime, every time.