Sony Pictures has signed to sponsor CNN video podcasts, making it the first major studio to do so, a Reuters report said.
The Reuters report said Sony's initial campaign is a weeklong promotion for the upcoming football drama 'Gridiron Gang,' starring Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson. Sony will support its message on the CNN Entertainment site with banner ads featuring the film, the report said.
The spots run as brief preroll on all CNN video podcasts, including the upcoming health issues series hosted by Sanjay Gupta and 'Reliable Sources,' which is based on the successful CNN show of the same name.
Sources close to the deal said Sony was attracted by the video podcasts' broad demographic reach and by a strong correlation between video podcast viewers and moviegoers, the Reuters report said.