THE digital television revolution has led to a deal for more than £1 million being signed between National Car Rental and broadcaster BSkyB. Under the agreement, National Car Rental will supply an estimated 450 Vauxhall Combo vans for periods ranging from two to 18 months for engineers to carry out work at customers' homes so they can receive digital programmes.

BSkyB has a leased fleet of 750 vans, but needs the flexibility of the rental deal to cope with demand fluctuations as its new television system becomes available. The contract was negotiated by Harper Collins Publishing, which has the same parent company as BSkyB, News Corporation, and deals with both the firms' fleet needs.

The vans will be supplied liveried with NCR and BSkyB logos, but they can be removed in case BSkyB wishes to return a van. The vehicles are expected to be in use by the start of August and NCR will supply some of them from its fleet, although the bulk of the order will be new purchases.