• by Steve McClellan  @mp_mcclellan, March 19, 2013

ABC's "Jimmy Kimmel Live" has struck a new one-year deal with Sony Electronics that makes the consumer and professional electronic products marketer the official concert series partner of the program. The agreement also allows Sony to create four week-long product integrations with the Kimmel program. The show recently moved up an hour on ABC's late-night schedule to 11:35 p.m. Interpublic Group media shop UM negotiated the agreement on behalf of Sony.

The Kimmel show produces music entertainment content that is separate and in addition to the main broadcast. The concert series features guest artists who perform for an extended period in an outdoor concert space next to Kimmel’s studio in Los Angeles. While a couple of songs make the program, the artists play for about 45 minutes and draw a separate crowd of about 1,000 music fans.

Kimmel will program 146 of those longer-form performances over the next year on his back lot in a concert space that is branded as the "Sony Stage." The venue is equipped with state-of-the art gear from Sony's professional products division.

The first performance under the new deal is set for Tuesday night (March 19) featuring the rap artist T.I. Many details regarding the Sony integrations are still being worked out. But for the first concert a select group of audience members will be provided with new Sony Alpha Nex SLR cameras and Sony Bloggie video cameras to capture concert footage that could land on YouTube. Other activities are being devised for future concerts.

Danny Kaplan, senior vice president, client business partner, UM, said the deal “leverages a platform that resonates with the passions of Sony’s Key consumers and maximizes impact by integrating product messaging into the fabric of the program.”

The four main integrations will be developed jointly by Kimmel’s production team, Sony and UM. The first, coming up in the spring, will feature Sony 4K video picture technology that is said to be far sharper than HDTV formats.

Phil Molyneux, president and COO of Sony Electronics, stated that teaming up with Kimmel “reinforces Sony’s vision for synergy among consumers of entertainment and technology” and demonstrates the company’s desire to “reach those consumers through more engaging, custom platforms.

As part of the deal Sony has agreed to buy a number of regular commercials in the Kimmel program. The advertiser will also brand off-air locations in the studio including the green room where guests wait to go on the program and dressing rooms with Sony monitors and other devices.