Camelot UK has announced that the National Lottery will continue to sponsor ITV’s Saturday night primetime programmes of  The Masked Singer and Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway.

This will be the second year in which the lottery and ITV have partnered together to bring entertainment to viewers every Saturday night for three months, commencing 25 December.

The new deal will aim to deliver on the lottery’s brand narrative: ‘Amazing things happen when lots of people play a little’. It will also build on strategic work to drive awareness of the lottery and the £30m a week it raises for good causes.

Last year’s sponsorship included a cameo from Stephen Mulhern who surprised a Saturday Night Takeaway viewer with a £350,000 funding boost for her National Lottery-supported charity.

Camelot’s Chief Marketing Officer, Keith Moor, commented: “The National Lottery is once again helping to bring amazing entertainment and fun to homes across the UK at primetime on Saturday nights – something that’s in The National Lottery’s DNA given that it has been providing incredible moments of fun and anticipation for its players for over 27 years.

“Through ITV’s flagship shows, we’ll be reaching some of the biggest audiences – connecting National Lottery games with peak entertainment.”

The sponsorship deal includes on-air sponsorship, multi-platform activation and a bespoke licensing package with visibility on the ITV Hub as well as the lottery’s and ITV’s owned channels. An aligned content strategy across ITV and the lottery social feeds will aim to build on the success of last year’s campaign.

Mark Trinder, ITV Director of Commercial Sales and Partnerships, added: “The Masked Singer and Saturday Night Takeaway are two of our most iconic shows and part of millions of people’s Saturdays. I’m delighted to welcome back The National Lottery as our sponsors and look forward to bringing even more entertainment to viewers as part of this partnership.”

Dentsu negotiated and will manage the agreement between Camelot and ITV Commercial. Adam & Eve has led on creative strategy and approach, with ITV Creative heading up production and 360 creative integration of the deal.