TalkTalk gets in bed with The X Factor for another three years

Internet service provider and mobile phone operator TalkTalk has confirmed it's renewed its sponsorship of the reality TV show The X Factor for another three years, with speculation the deal could be worth as much as £20 million.

TalkTalk's previous sponsorship of the show ended last year at a time when audience figures were peaking at 15.5 million.

If its recently published end of year financial results are anything to go by, the provider can afford to set aside a larger chunk for advertising. Currently boasting a subscriber base of 4.2 million customers it confirmed yesterday that it added 144,000 new net users (exluding those shipped over from Tiscali and AOL) last year.

The next year is also expected to be busy for the provider as it works towards developing and releasing its own mobile phone and mobile broadband services.

According to a report by the Guardian newspaper TalkTalk offered more for this X-Factor sponsorship deal than the last (for the first two years it was under the Carphone Warehouse brand), although it was not prepared to reveal the exact value of the deal.

As well as sponsorship of the TV show and tour the provider will have access to exclusive online clips for visitors to its website.

Speaking on the sponsorship Tristia Clarke, commercial director at TalkTalk Group told the Guardian: "We have invested significantly over the last 12 months and we have seen good improvement in brand awareness and with that has come good sales growth." Clarke added: "The deal is about two things. It is about driving ongoing growth. But it is also about retention as much as acquisition. X Factor is such a brand in its own right that this is a full year annual sponsorship."

For more information on TalkTalk and to compare its current broadband packages check out these broadband deals and price comparisons.