Motors TV To Drive Audiences Up With Le Mans

Niche digital channel Motors TV has secured the pan-European TV broadcast rights for the Le Mans 24-hour motor race in 2006 and 2007, providing a boost to the channel, which will run a week of programming to celebrate the event this year.

The channel’s coverage will begin on 12 June, culminating in the race itself on 17 and 18 June, with the broadcaster installing a special studio in Le Mans’ Jacobins Square, where the technical inspection of the cars will take place.

The race’s qualifying sesssions will be broadcast on 14 and 15 June, followed by the race at the weekend. Motors TV will broadcast more than 48 hours of coverage in total.

Explaining the deal’s significance, Dominic Matterson, channels director at Motors TV’s sales house, Digital Media Sales, said: “This is a milestone in digital sports broadcasting and shows that there is quality sport on digital aside from Sky. It will generate a huge audience of enthusuasts right across Europe and we will shortly be announcing a number of packages which we expect will generate massive interest from advertisers.

“Digital Television is rapidly becoming a true pan-European medium and pan-European sales are becoming an important revenue stream for a number of our channels.”

Motors TV has also secured the broadcast rights to the American Le Mans Series, as well as the full European Le Mans series.

Motor racing has a history of delivering sizeable audiences who stay loyal for the duration of the coverage. Earlier this month saw ITV announce Swiftcover as the new sponsor of its Formula 1 coverage, with the broadcaster looking forward to audiences in the region of 4 million for its coverage of the Imola race later this month (see ITV Signs Insurance Firm For F1 Sponsorship).

Digital Media Sales: 0845 122 8900 www.digitalmediasales.co.uk