Coke gives charts fizz: charts are the real thing as two-year sponsorship by Coca-Cola offers high-profile exposure.(Charts)

Coca-Cola has signed a two-year deal to sponsor the Official UK Singles and Albums Charts.

The agreement, which comes into effect on January 1 next year, is the second sponsorship deal for the charts and is understood to be worth a cash sum in the high six figures across its two years.

Official UK Charts Company chairman Richard Wootton--the owner of Leicester indie Ainleys--says, "It is fantastic news. A lot of us have been pursuing Coca-Cola because we feel that they are the biggest brand in the world and the UK charts are the best and most accurate in the world.

"The financial side of the deal is very good, but the exposure it is going to give to the OCC, being branded on billions of Coke cans and machines across the country, will raise everyone's awareness of our company."

The last UK chart sponsorship deal, the 3m [pounds sterling], three-year Worldpop agreement which was struck in April 2000, ended along with the collapse of the music web portal less than 18 months later. Although the Coca Cola link-up offers less cash than that deal, Coca-Cola is said to have committed to support the charts with marketing initiatives, which dwarf that agreement.

"This deal is not worth as much as the Worldpop deal in terms of cash, but it is ...