With Mario Kart 8 now just a week away, Nintendo UK has announced an intriguing partnership with E4 — the UK TV channel — to show player's exploits in Mario Kart TV in the commercial break during peak time. Not only will it be an exciting opportunity for early adopters of the game, but this promotion seems like a clever advertising opportunity for the Wii U title.

As you may know, Mario Kart TV allows you to edit and save highlight reels from 30 to 60 seconds long, and then upload them to YouTube and Miiverse. From launch day on 30th May to 2nd June, however, UK gamers will also have the chance to enter their highlights on a special competition page — website url TBC — in order to win one of five opportunities to have their replay shown during a peak time commercial on E4. The five winning entries — with the player's name displayed — will be shown between 2nd and 6th June at around 8:10pm on the channel, right in the middle of commercial primetime. The five winners will also receive a "real-life Mario Kart cup", while these ad spots will also promote a separate competition for viewers to win a Wii U.

E4 will be advertising this partnership and competition from today (23rd May) up to 1st June, with the following comments given in the press release.

Danny Peace, Agency Principal, Channel 4 Sales said: “This bespoke partnership with Nintendo and E4 gives viewers a money can’t buy opportunity to win the chance to see their very own game play broadcast in peak-time on E4. It builds upon Channel 4 Sales’ strong track record in creating truly innovative and creative marketing solutions that engage clients’ brands with consumers in a unique way.” Roger Langford, Mario Brand Manager at Nintendo UK said: “Mario Kart TV is a great addition to the Mario Kart functionality and we think it’s something that fans will really enjoy. It’s great to rewatch in detail those key moments in the race, whether it’s getting blue-shelled, exploring the new anti-gravity mode or reliving your victory as you cross the finish line, E4 is a perfect vehicle for highlighting this feature to a young and engaged audience and we’re looking forward to seeing the entries.”

E4 is certainly a popular channel in the UK, running various high-profile shows such as The Big Bang Theory. Are you planning to enter this competition in order to have a shot at primetime TV fame?