Gaymers is to expand its live music sponsorship beyond festivals via a partnership with gig operator Academy Music Group and a £5m marketing investment.

The cider supplier predicts the new deal, under which it will become the official cider of AMG's 13 venues including O2 Academy Brixton, will help it sell 18 million pints of Gaymers at music venues this year, compared with 12.1 million in 2009.

The 4,000 music events AMG was hosting this year would boost trial of the brand, claimed Peter Spencer MD of Gaymer Cider Company.

"The long-term partnership with AMG will give us 365-days-of-the-year exposure to music fans, moving outside the summer festival season."

Gaymers will return this summer as official cider for the Glastonbury, Latitude and Leeds festivals and is adding The Big Chill to its line-up. It is also launching Gaymers Lost in the Orchard at the bigger festivals, which will host "unusual and challenging" performers in an orchard setting, according to Spencer.

The media push kicks off next month with its title sponsorship of Gaymers' Camden Crawl urban festival.

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