Vitality Sponsors Rugby Union On Sky Sports

Sky Sports coverage of rugby union will be sponsored by Vitality, the healthy living rewards programme from PruHealth and PruProtect for the 2014-15 season.

Vitality will be part of Sky Sports’ biggest ever rugby union season, with sponsorship branding around Sky Sports coverage of European Rugby, Guinness PRO12, Top 14, Ireland, France and Italy Autumn Internationals and the IRB World Sevens Series. The sponsorship will also cover repeats, highlights and magazine programming such as The Rugby Club and School of Hard Knocks. In addition, Vitality will also receive branding across the Rugby Union section of skysports.com, the Sky Sports Mobile App and on Sky Go.

The health and life insurance brand has strong links with rugby union with former England and British & Irish Lions player, Jonny Wilkinson as one of their Vitality Ambassadors, supporting the healthy living programme that rewards healthy and active lifestyles.

David Shore, Sky Media’s Head of New Business, said of the deal: “We’re delighted to have Vitality on board as a sponsor of Sky’s Rugby Union coverage, they are a perfect fit. They recognise the importance of sport and having Jonny Wilkinson as their ambassador shows how key Rugby Union is for them. The broadcast sponsorship will enable Vitality to reinforce its partnership with viewers at home and on the move”

Neville Koopowitz, CEO, Vitality for PruHealth and PruProtect said: “This partnership with Sky Sports, as the home of televised rugby union, is an extremely important sponsorship for us and our Vitality programme. We believe in the power of sport to help inspire people to live healthy, active lives  and we're delighted to be working with a brand like Sky to help achieve our goal of changing the game when it comes to people’s health

The deal will begin on the week of Sky Sports’ European rugby coverage with the winners of last season’s Heineken Cup, Amlin Challenge Cup, Top 14, PRO12 and Aviva Premiership all featuring live during the first two Rounds.