Virgin Media Television, Sweden’s IGS in Deal for BingoLotto

LONDON, January 22: Virgin Media Television (VMtv) has
finalized an agreement with Sweden’s Intelligent Gaming Solutions (IGS) to
bring a British version of the interactive game-show format BingoLotto to its channels Challenge and Virgin1.

BingoLotto will be a
live, weekly 60-minute TV game show where the home audience plays bingo-style
lotteries and other games for the chance to win prizes of up to £100,000,
having purchased tickets beforehand from retail stores; at least 20 percent of
the proceeds from the BingoLotto
ticket sales will be donated to a number of British charities. The first
partner charities are the CCPR (Central Council of Physical Recreation), the
national alliance of sports bodies), and the NCVO (National Council for
Voluntary Organisations). IGS has already secured partnerships that will enable
the nationwide distribution of tickets through over 15,000 outlets. Audiences
will also be able to buy items during the hour, with BingoLotto and its retail partners to offer deals on a range of
products similar to the prizes given away during the TV game.

IGS will simulcast BingoLotto during commercial airtime on Challenge and Virgin1. The first BingoLotto television game is scheduled for Friday, February 29
between 7 and 8 p.m.

BingoLotto is based
on the hit Swedish version, owned and operated by IGS. IGS has commissioned
British independent producer Spun Gold to produce the weekly TV presentation,
which will be fronted by Joe Pasquale and Suzanne Shaw.

Clare Heys, Virgin Media Television’s controller of
commercial partnerships, said: “BingoLotto
is a giant leap forward for branded content in the U.K.—a truly
innovative, creative and entertaining use of commercial airtime that brings
benefits to both VMtv and IGS. BingoLotto creates genuine appointment-to-view television at the heart of the
primetime schedule: a real first for U.K. television.”

Gert Eklund, the creator of BingoLotto, added, “We are very excited to be bringing BingoLotto to the U.K. The game has been such a huge success in
Sweden—the highest-rating show in Scandinavian history, giving around
£100 million to charity each year, and we hope to have the same success here in
the U.K. BingoLotto is a fun and entertaining game, with a highly
interactive format where viewers play along live.”

—By Irene Lew