The Evening Gazette in Teesside has come up with a novel way of generating revenue through the video content on its website.

The Trinity Mirror paper's Middlesbrough FC experts – chief writer Eric Paylor and sports editor Phil Tallentire – are already attracting more than 50,000 hits a time with their online interviews.

And now the team is mimicking TV-style post-match interviews by filming in front of a specially-commissioned sponsor board.

Gazette editor Darren Thwaites said: "Viewers are very familiar with this type of backdrop when players are interviewed after games so we thought we should do it for our guys too.

"We had to resist the temptation to hand over a bottle of champagne at the end and ruffle Eric's hair."

The first sponsors – Middlesbrough College, social housing group Fabrick and Wells Integrated Cables – signed up as part of a five-figure sports sponsorship package mixing print, video and blogging opportunities.

Darren added: "It's a win-win scenario for us because it actually adds value to the content, while giving our sponsors a very visible presence.

"We've been amazed and delighted at how popular the videos are. Eric and Phil are so knowledgeable about the Boro that it's difficult to get them to speak for just a couple of minutes."

The sponsor board rolls away into a portable carrier so it's now being taken around the region to use as a backdrop for fans' views on the Boro.

Advertising director Alan Dickinson added: "At a time when we need to be as innovative as possible with marketing solutions for our customers, this package really captured the imagination of both the sales team and the market."

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