The Atlanta giant has decided to pump in $2.5 million in sponsoring 18 roadshows of Channel V across several smaller venues in the country.This massive on-ground marketing tie-up with V-Live (live concerts) comes close on the heels of Goan roadshow which drew 16,000 hysterical youth in Goa's capital on March 22.

``The Goan success convinced Coke to extend the sponsorship agreement to six shows a year for next three years,'' an enthusiastic general manager (international) of Channel V, Don Ateyo, told `The Financial Express' on Thursday. ``We are extremely proud to tie-up with another market leader in India. Our association will enable us to travel across India, bringing Channel V's successful roadshows to the people whocount--the viewers,'' Ateyo said.

The Goa show, where the top Coke brass was present to gauge the success of their experiment, was followed by the Bangalore show on April 29, which was washed out by rain after an hour, but was enough to quench the thirst of Bangloreans. There are still many more cities to follow, next being Chennai on May 29, followed by Ludhiana and Lucknow later.

``That V has wrangled a better deal with Coke than what Pepsi has with MTV is clear as the latter's roadshows have been dubbed `Pepsi Dance Connection', sidelining MTV rather uncharitably,'' chuckles a Channel V official.

Also, the cost of the roadshows is being split between Pepsi, MTV and DNA Networks, the event management company. In contrast, Coke will be picking the tab for V's roadshows. In those cities where the shows are due, Coke is in the process of putting out five million specially manufactured co-branded cans, giving tremendous mileage to V. One side of the can will carry details of V-Live. Fans will be able toexchange a certain number of cans for tickets to the shows, along with Channel V merchandise comprising caps, badges, T-shirts etc.

It is not as if Coke is sponsoring events or advertising on Channel V exclusively, but it has doled out more money than it has for any other channel. Interestingly, Pepsi which is sponsoring MTV's dance parties in 22 cities, was one of the main sponsors for few of the Channel V's roadshows last year. Besides, Channel V has also tied up with Bacardi for on-ground parties at pubs exclusively. Bacardi already sponsors V's hip hop music show Bacardi Blast, hosted by Laila Rousse. It held the first in this series in Bangalore on April 25 at UFO Fast Track, attended by almost 5,000 people, claims the channel, pushing the channel war almost to a frenzy as MTV too held a drizzle rain party at the Club the same evening.