• Broadcasting & Cable, Wednesday, April 4, 2007 12 PM

MTV will add sponsor-branded segments to some shows -- an experiment aimed at getting tuned-in throughout a night's programming and advertising. The eight-week test will run on its Thursday Night Block and the net will spotlight one sponsor each week in hosted segments. The first hosts will be "Three 6 Mafia," subjects of a new reality show "Adventures In HollyHood," and will include info about sponsors' products, along with branded previews and recaps of other shows.

Universal Pictures will be the first sponsor and plans to promote the film "Knocked Up." The hosts will break into Thursday shows to introduce footage from the movie, and Universal will slap its logo onto on-air IDs, billboards and tags during promos for the Thursday fare.

"We're trying to navigate the models that might be emerging in a brave new world with respect to advertising and programming," says Brian Graden, President of Entertainment, MTV Networks Music Group and President of Logo. "The idea is to sort of create a relatively seamless content experience for the entire block that also serves advertisers' needs."

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