“This is the BBC news, brought to you by Rolex.” The corporation has sparked fresh concerns over creeping commercialisation after signing the watchmaker as an official sponsor.

The Swiss brand will be the “exclusive launch partner” of BBC.com, a revamped version of the corporation’s international web portal that was developed in order to generate revenue from non-licence feepayers outside the UK who use BBC web properties.

Rolex will sponsor all BBC.com content, including news, weather and sport, allowing it to communicate “specific brand messages” to 28 million people outside the UK who use the site.

BBC executives sold the sponsorship package as “an opportunity to associate with one of the world’s leading and most trusted brands”.

The BBC said that sponsorship deals, which could generate millions of pounds, would help “deliver a new flow of income from international visitors into the BBC for investment”.

Last week the BBC took down a website offering UK sponsorship opportunities and there are concerns that its international web news output should be so closely aligned to a commercial partner. Commercial competitors fear that the BBC deals will divert revenue.

The Rolex partnership, negotiated by BBC Worldwide, the corporation’s commercial wing, will be “the first in a number of sponsorship opportunities throughout the year”, the BBC said.

The BBC has given Rolex the opportunity to “optimise advertising space on high-traffic pages outside the UK which include news, sports and weather”.

Kym Niblock, managing director of BBC.com, said: “We are delighted to be associated with such a prestigious brand such as Rolex. Advertising partnerships like these will help BBC.com deliver funds to invest in further growing the international reach of the site, and deliver revenues back to BBC.”

The BBC Trust rejected objections to advertising on bbc.com, provided that none were allowed on the UK website. Users who try to log on to bbc.com in Britain are directed back to the UK site. The BBC aims to generate millions of pounds in new revenues each year through advertisers such as BA and Airbus, who have already signed up.

Rolex no longer seeks product placement in films after James Bond swopped its wristwatches for an Omega. It prefers strategic alliances, such as the BBC deal and select sporting “ambassadors”, such as Roger Federer, the tennis player, to get its message across.

Last week, a controversial website aimed at persuading companies to promote their brands during programmes such as Children in Need and Saving Planet Earth was withdrawn by the BBC. Rivals said that the site breached the ban on the corporation taking advertising. The decision came after a report in The Times which revealed that ITV and commercial radio companies planned to lodge a formal complaint with the BBC Trust over the corporation’s decision to sell “sponsorship packages” linked to live broadcast events.

Bectu, the broadcasting union, has protested to BBC management over the web advertising move. A spokeswoman said: “The BBC’s reputation at home and internationally is based on its freedom from advertising and commercial pressures. We believe this will damage the BBC’s reputation as a public service broadcaster.”

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