Sharp Extend Deal as Tour of Britain Electronics Partner

Sharp has confirmed that it will continue as the official electronics partner of the Tour of Britain in 2011, fulfilling the same role in The Halfords Tour Series, of which the Tour of Britain is a part.

In addition, the electronics company will be the official broadcast sponsor of the Tour on British channel ITV’s coverage of the event.

Paul Hide, managing director of Sharp, said of the extended deal: “The last 18 months have seen us establish our position in UK pro-cycling, and we are now looking to build on that.

“As the premier UK pro event, The Tour of Britain is the perfect platform for us, and we’ll be looking to bring our technological expertise to the race this year, providing insights that can deepen the fans’ enjoyment and engagement.”

SweetSpot Group, the British-based sports marketing firm that organises the Tour, brokered the deal and the agency’s commercial manager Alistair Grant stated: “We have enjoyed working with Sharp over the past two editions of The Tour of Britain and utilising their award winning products on the event.

“We can now look forward to continuing this relationship in 2011 and working together to enable fans to get close to the action with Sharp.  The extended partnership is also a clear sign of the growing success of The Tour of Britain and how we have developed the television coverage since the revival of the race in 2004.”