ABC1 to carry ads from April

ABC1 will begin showing adverts from April after signing its first advertising deal.

Since its launch last September, the Disney-owned entertainment channel has aired commercial-free on Freeview and digital cable.

According to Broadcast, the company has now signed an agreement with Procter & Gamble, the world's largest advertiser.

"P&G is the world's largest advertiser, renowned for their expertise in marketing, and this decision is a flattering endorsement of both abc1 and our unique advertising approach," said John Hardie, executive vice president and managing director of Walt Disney Branded Television.

ABC1 plans to schedule two ad breaks per half hour but, in a move akin to that of the major US networks, there will be no ad break between the end and beginning of programmes.