Permanent TSB replaces Renault as Late Late Show sponsor

Permanent TSB has been announced as the new title sponsor of The Late Late Show on RTÉ after the show’s long-running deal with Renault came to an end in August.

The programme returns to RTÉ One tonight, hosted by Patrick Kielty, who replaces Ryan Tubridy after 14 years.

Renault’s commercial arrangement with the national broadcaster came to an end in August. The car dealer had sponsored the show for eight years up to the 2022-2023 season for a figure believed to be in the region of €750,000 in that final year.

RTÉ said in a statement on Friday that the agreement with Permanent TSB comprises a total of 730 credited “stings” – short advertising clips played before and after commercial breaks. The bank’s logo will also appear on all dedicated promotional materials for the programme on television and social media.

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“We’re delighted to become title sponsor of The Late Late Show, the world’s longest-running live chat show and a national institution, as it begins an exciting new chapter in the show’s history,” said Permanent TSB’s head of marketing, Stephen Jackson.

[ Patrick Kielty’s Late Late prep: Butterflies, politics and a message from Tubs ]

Ruth Kennedy, TV sponsorship manager at RTÉ, said: “As the world’s longest-running live chat show, The Late Late Show has become an integral part of Friday night television, deeply embedded in the fabric of Irish households. We are so excited to be working with Permanent TSB into the 61st season of this iconic show with new host Patrick Kielty at the helm and look forward to a successful partnership.”

The broadcaster, the programme and its former host have faced a summer of controversy over disputed hidden payments to Mr Tubridy.

The Irish Times reported on Friday that a dispute between Mr Tubridy and his former employer over his 2020 contract could reach the courts after RTÉ director general Kevin Bakhurst scrapped a deal for Mr Tubridy to return to his morning radio slot on RTÉ Radio 1.

RTÉ said it “has paid Ryan Tubridy up to August”, adding that there would be no further comment.