By Business & Finance 
Pictured: Sarah Jennings, marketing director of Now TV
Now TV is to become the next sponsor of Dublinbikes
Now TV is set to sponsor Dublinbikes from 2021. The Sky streaming service secured naming rights to the public bike hire scheme in a deal worth €2.25 million over three years.
The announcement was made by Dublin City Council and advertising group JCDecaux today, 9th December, 2020, with the bikes and stations set to be branded as Now TV Dublinbikes from January 19th, 2021.
The Now TV partnership coincides with the launch of the new Dublinbikes app. This app allow users to release a bike from their smartphone for the first time.
“The Dublinbikes scheme has been a huge success since it was launched back in 2009 and continues to go from strength to strength,” said Lord Mayor of Dublin Hazel Chu.
Introducing… NOW TV dublinbikes 🚴♂️
We are delighted to announce our new partnership with dublinbikes 🙌
NOW TV dublinbikes will be on the streets of Dublin from 19 Jan '21, so keep your 👀 peeled & be sure to take them for a spin!@DubCityCouncil @jcdecauxireland pic.twitter.com/1cSA5QKH5t
— NOW TV Ireland (@NOWTVIreland) December 9, 2020
She continued: “Cycling is getting more popular every day, especially since the onset of COVID-19, and Dublin City Council is keeping pace by continuing to roll out cycling infrastructure throughout the city.”
Now TV marketing director Sarah Jennings noted her enthusiasm for the partnership saying, “sponsorships like this don’t come up every day.”
Ms. Jennings stated that the group has made “a conscious decision to invest more in advertising this year.” She continued by saying that Now TV is “at the highest level of customers we have had,” since launching in the Republic of Ireland in 2017. Now TV reduced its out-of-home marketing for a period, and it has increased its spending on digital and television advertising as consumption of in-home entertainment has surged.
The Dublinbikes scheme, first introduced in 2009, has had two previous sponsors: Coca-Cola Zero and Just Eat.
There are currently 1,600 bikes available to hire under the scheme from 117 stations around Dublin. Since 2009, the scheme is estimated to have reduced carbon emissions by 8,014 tonnes.
The Lord Mayor of Dublin @hazechu at the launch of Dublin Bikes new partnership with @NOWTVIreland
A new app will also be launched next month for the bike scheme. pic.twitter.com/C1UfQUn4ag
— Josh Crosbie (@JoshCrosbie3) December 9, 2020
