ITV and Coral announce launch of sporting documentary series, Against The Odds

ITV and Coral announce launch of sporting documentary series, Against The Odds

ITV and Coral today announce the launch of an exciting ten-part sporting documentary series, entitled “Against The Odds”, with the first episode set to be broadcast on 19 October 2021.

The ten-part documentary series, produced by ITV and funded by Coral, will deliver a unique insight into some of the most inspiring stories focusing on some big names from the world of sport.

The sports stars featured in the series are individuals who have overcome personal adversity or have taken an unconventional route to rise to the top of their respective sports, defying the odds to achieve success. Each episode will be presented by leading members of ITV Sport’s presenting team, including Gabriel Clarke, Mark Pougatch, Ed Chamberlin, Francesca Cumani, Jacqui Oatley and Oli Bell.

Against The Odds is funded by Coral and developed by the7Stars content team, Supernova, with ITV Sport. The series will run from October 2021 until July 2022 on ITV4, ITV Hub and ITV’s main channel. 

The first episode, which airs on October 19th, features top UK flat jockey Hollie Doyle, where she tells her story about her remarkable rise to the top of her profession.

Future episodes will include fellow riders Guy Disney and Johnny Murtagh, plus a special programme ahead of the Cheltenham festival on the legendary grey racehorse, Desert Orchid. Darts World Champion Gerwyn Price will also be featured with further names to be announced.

Each episode will coincide with major sporting events including The Ashes, the FA Cup, the Six Nations and the Cheltenham Festival. Commercial creative output for the series, including idents and activation is being overseen by DRUM.

As part of the partnership, Coral will also receive a full activation package and both ITV and Coral will bring the show to life across multiple platforms and integration into the real world off-screen. This will include additional behind the scenes footage on Coral’s platforms, in-store promotion and branding plus talent-signed merchandise for competitions.

Coral Head of Brand Marketing, Chris Brocklehurst said: “The history of sport is full of teams and individuals battling adversity and beating the odds. This new ITV series will tell the stories behind the sporting triumphs of many familiar names. From trailblazing flat jockey Hollie Doyle to Guy Disney’s inspiring and remarkable story, we’re sure that the nation will have their favourites. 

“This is a brand new format for Coral and it brilliantly captures some of the most compelling and exciting stories in sport and cements Coral’s position as a leader in sport.”

Simon Daglish, Deputy Managing Director, ITV Commercial said: “We have been delighted to work with Coral on this exciting series of sport insight programmes. Increasingly Advertiser Funded Programmes are being used to help create a more engaged form of dialogue with consumers and Against The Odds is an excellent example of this. It has been a great experience working with Coral and we are excited to broadcast the series.”

Phil Heslop, ITV Sport Executive Producer said: “It's hugely exciting to be teaming up with Coral to tell ten such compelling and inspirational stories. 'Against The Odds' will give the viewers a real insight into the unseen world of the athlete- away from the bright lights- and highlight what it takes to make it at the very highest level of sport.”

Taylor Barr, Sports & Partnerships Lead, the7stars said: “Ad-Funded Programming is becoming an increasingly powerful tool for brands to reach consumers through their passions. From conception through to planning and activation, it has been great to work with Coral on this new strategy direction, aligning them with inspiring stories from some of the nation's favourite athletes.”

Claire Baker, Global Creative Director, DRUM said: “We’re excited to be working with ITV, Coral & the7stars to launch Against The Odds that gives sports fans exclusive access to the remarkable stories of some of the UK’s elite athletes. To support the show we’ve created a series of sponsorship idents that celebrate the production partnership along with monthly social content that brings the nation even closer to the career defining moments of their favourite stars.”

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