Sky Broadband will replace Liberty Insurance as the new sponsor of the Late Late Show, RTÉ has announced.

RTÉ had been looking for a new sponsor for its flagship show, presented by Ryan Tubridy, since the contract with Liberty Insurance expired. The new arrangement is similar to that deal, which was worth €1 million.

The sponsorship - the most valuable in RTÉ - will begin when the show returns next month for its 52nd season. The package will include stings around the programme as well as online advertising.

Sky Ireland has this year been pushing new broadband and home phone services with a prominent, €10 million marketing campaign starring actor Pierce Brosnan.

The company’s managing director JD Buckley said Sky was Ireland’s only “triple play provider” offering television, broadband, and phone services. “This sponsorship will… consumers to demand more from their broadband,” he said.

RTÉ commercial director Geraldine O’Leary said the deal is a “great endorsement of RTÉ One’s output and its powerful audience reach”. The Late Late Show had an average viewership of some 626,000 last year.

Ms O’Leary added that RTÉ was delighted with the arrangment despite it being connected with a rival braodcaster.

“As a dual-funded semi-state, RTÉ has a statutory obligation to generate revenue which supplements licence fee income to deliver on our public service obligations,” she said.

“Sponsorship deals of this level in the current climate are hard won. We are delighted to have Sky Broadband a major advertiser with RTÉ on board as sponsor of RTÉ Television’s flagship show.”