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Channel 4 to broadcast Formula E

written by Hugh

CHANNEL 4 AND FORMULA E ANNOUNCE NEW MULTI-YEAR BROADCAST AGREEMENT

Channel 4 to be the exclusive free-to-air UK TV home of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship in a new multi-year broadcast agreement
More races live on free-to-air in the UK than any previous season
Channel 4 coverage will be hosted by Vernon Kay, Nicki Shields, Dario Franchitti and Jack Nicholls

Formula E and Channel 4 today announced the broadcaster will become the UK’s exclusive free-to-air TV home of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship in a multi-year broadcast agreement beginning this season.

UK-based fans of the only all-electric motorsport World Championship will have the opportunity to see more live races in Season 8 than in any previous season.

Every race in the Championship’s biggest-ever 16-race calendar will be aired live on Channel 4 and All4, or on Channel 4 Sport’s well established channel on YouTube.*

Race highlights will be broadcast on Channel 4 and All4 which will serve as the catch-up destination for all the action from the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship.

In addition, the new qualifying format featuring all 22 drivers in head-to-head knockout Duels competing for pole position will be available live before every E-Prix on the Channel 4 Sport YouTube channel.

Sponsored by Bristol Street Motors, Channel 4’s live and uninterrupted race coverage will be presented by the established Formula E team of hosts Vernon Kay and Nicki Shields, expert analyst Dario Franchitti and commentator Jack Nicholls with local pundits joining around the world. It will be produced by FETV, a co-venture between motorsport production specialists Aurora and North One.

Season 8 begins with a double-header around the walls of the UNESCO World Heritage site of Diriyah, Saudi Arabia, on 28 and 29 January. Racing continues through Season 8 in the centre of iconic world cities including Rome, Monaco, Berlin, London and New York and for the first time, Jakarta, Vancouver and Seoul. Most races in Asia and Europe will air live on Channel 4 and All4.

Round 1 will air live from Diriyah on the Channel 4 Sport YouTube channel from 16:30pm GMT on Friday, 28 January. Channel 4 and All4 will broadcast live coverage of Round 2 on Saturday, 29 January from 16:30pm GMT.

Channel 4’s Head of Sport Pete Andrews said: “Formula E is a fantastically exciting sport and this deal is wonderful news for sports fans. We’re proud to be showcasing a sport with sustainability at its heart and one that plays such an important role in seeking to combat the climate crisis.”

Aarti Dabas, Chief Media Officer, Formula E, said: “We are delighted to build on our relationship with Channel 4 as the exclusive free-to-air home of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship here in the UK. The multi-year partnership with Channel 4 is great news for fans across the UK and for the continued growth of our sport. Last season saw more fans around the world tune into our live race programming than ever before. With Channel 4 established as the regular free-to-air home for Formula E in the UK, we look forward to better serving our passionate fanbase while attracting new fans to the excitement of all-electric street-racing.”

By the conclusion Season 7 (2020/21), the live television audience made up the majority of Formula E’s global TV viewership (62%) for the first time in the Championship’s history. The cumulative audience increased to 316m – a 32% year-on-year growth – driven by new distribution agreements with free-to-air (FTA) channels in key markets, which also lifted Season 7’s live audience above pre-pandemic levels.

This latest deal follows on from Channel 4’s announcement that it will ten live Super League matches each season for the next two years thanks to a partnership with Sky. It is the first time in the competition’s 26-year history that it will be shown on free to air terrestrial television.

Channel 4 has made a wide a range of high profile sports and events available free to air to UK audiences over the past 12 months. These have included: live coverage of Emma Raducanu’s stunning US Open victory; live British Lions rugby; live Test match cricket coverage of England’s tour in India; live coverage of the Ireland rugby union autumn internationals; and live in-depth coverage of the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games which attracted 20 million viewers.

About Channel 4 Sport’s social media channels

Channel 4 Sport on YouTube is the well-established home to the broadcaster’s wide range of sport including the Beijing 2022 Winter Paralympics, Rugby Super League, W Series, British & Irish Lions, international cricket and rugby union, Heineken Champions Cup, Formula One as well as documentaries and digital originals. In addition Channel 4 Sport is also available on Facebook and Twitter. Set up originally for horse racing in 2012, the channel became Channel 4 Sport YouTube four years ago.

About Channel 4’s sponsor of its Formula E coverage

The Vertu Motors Group operates a nationwide chain of over 150 franchised motor dealerships which offer sales, servicing, parts and bodyshop facilities for new and used cars and commercial vehicles. These dealerships fall under the trading names Bristol Street Motors, Macklin Motors and Vertu Motors.

22nd January 2022 0 comment

Motor Sports

Sky and Channel 4 strike deal to show 2021 Formula 1 season finale live on terrestrial television

written by Hugh

The deciding final race of the Formula 1 season will be shown live on free to air terrestrial television this Sunday (12.12.21) after Sky agreed to share its coverage with Channel 4.

Thanks to the deal struck between the two broadcasters, the British public will be able to savour every twist and turn as Lewis Hamilton sets his sights on taking a record-breaking eighth World Championship title in the winner-takes-all finale.

Channel 4’s Chief Executive Alex Mahon said: “We are delighted that the whole nation will be able to watch what is set to be one of the most thrilling finales to an F1 season in living memory as Lewis strives to become the most crowned World Champion of all time.

“After bringing Test cricket to free to air television for the first time in more than a decade, and enabling millions to share the joy of Emma Raducanu’s US Open triumph, we are so pleased to be partnering with Sky to enable the widest possible audience to share this historic sporting moment.”

Stephen van Rooyen, EVP & CEO UK & Europe Sky said: “Sunday’s Grand Prix is one of the biggest sporting events in the last decade, and could be an historic moment for British sport. We’ve chosen to gift the race to the whole country at Christmas through our partnership with Channel 4, so everyone can be part of a huge national moment as Lewis Hamilton goes for a historic eighth World Championship title.

“The brilliant Sky Sports Formula 1 team will give viewers on Channel 4 and Sky Sports the best insight, commentary and analysis of every twist and turn of this most eagerly anticipated final race of the season. Additionally all Sky TV customers will have live coverage of the important qualifying session on Saturday, and the race on Sunday – which we will also show live on Sky Showcase.”

Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen are tied on 369.5 points each with Verstappen currently leading the Drivers’ Championship having secured a total of nine wins, one more than Hamilton’s eight.

This year has witnessed crashes, controversies and collisions between the two drivers and set up a mouth-watering grandstand finish to the 2021 Formula 1 season.

Under the terms of the deal, Channel 4 will broadcast Sky’s production of the live race coverage with its presenting team of Nico Rosberg, Jenson Button, Martin Brundle, Nat Pinkham, David Croft, Karun Chandhok, Simon Lazenby and Ted Kravitz.

Channel 4’s team of Steve Jones, David Coulthard, Mark Webber and Lee McKenzie will provide build up to the race for 15 minutes from midday before handing over to Sky for their pre-race coverage and Sky’s live coverage of the race itself.

After the podium ceremony Channel 4’s presentation team will return to give its instant reaction to the race before a full Channel 4 highlights programme producer by Whisper airs at 5.30pm.

This latest deal follows on from a recent announcement that Channel 4 would broadcast ten live Super League matches each season for the next two years thanks to a partnership with Sky. It is the first time in the competition’s 26-year history that it will be shown on free to air terrestrial television.

This is the latest in a string of sports broadcasts secured by Channel 4 which have included: live coverage of Emma Raducanu’s stunning US Open victory; live British Lions rugby; live Test match cricket coverage of England’s tour in India; live coverage of the Ireland rugby union autumn internationals; and live in-depth coverage of the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games which attracted 20 million viewers.

9th December 2021 0 comment

Tennis

Channel 4 partners with Amazon Prime Video to show live coverage of US Open tennis final featuring British teenage star Emma Raducanu

written by Hugh

Tennis fans will be able to watch live coverage of tonight’s US Open tennis final on Channel 4 after the broadcaster secured a last-minute deal to share the broadcast with Amazon Prime Video.

Viewers will be able to cheer on 18-year-old Emma Raducanu as she makes her first Grand Slam final appearance against Canadian Leylah Fernandez with coverage starting at 8pm.

Channel 4’s Chief Content Officer Ian Katz said: “Emma’s meteoric rise to secure a place in the US Open Final is just sensational. We’re glad to have worked with Prime Video and pulled out all the stops to get it on air and I’m sure viewers will be thrilled at the prospect of watching Emma in this Grand Slam final.”

Emma is the first British woman to reach a Grand Slam singles final since Virginia Wade at Wimbledon in 1977.

Ian added that a huge amount of effort from colleagues across Channel 4 had made the broadcast possible.

He said: “We didn’t know we’d secured the deal until late on Friday night and so many people have gone above and beyond to make it happen. But Channel 4 is all about finding ways to let our viewers share great national moments, whether it’s Bake Off or big sporting events like the cricket World Cup final or US Open final.

As a result of the deal struck with Amazon Prime Video, Channel 4 will take the streaming giant’s live feed and broadcast it free to air on Channel 4. Prime Video’s broadcast will be available to stream for Prime members via the Prime Video app on smart TVs, game consoles, mobile devices, set top boxes and online at www.amazon.co.uk/primevideo.

Earlier this year Channel 4 secured a similar surprise for sports fans when it showed the live television coverage of England’s Test series against India. It was the first time live Test cricket had been on free to air television since Channel 4 showed England’s historic Ashes win in 2005.

11th September 2021 0 comment

Rugby

England’s summer rugby internationals live on Channel 4

written by Hugh

More live rugby will broadcast on free-to-air terrestrial television after Channel 4 secured the rights to show England’s summer internationals.

Channel 4 will show live coverage of England’s match up against the USA at Twickenham on 4 July as well as their game against Canada on 10 July.

The matches are preceded by England A against Scotland A live on Channel 4 on 27 June – a day after live coverage of the British & Irish Lions pre-tour Test against Japan on 26 June. The broadcast of the Lions match will be the first time they have been on terrestrial television in nearly 30 years.

Channel 4’s Head of Sport Pete Andrews said: “Having top flight live international rugby matches on Channel 4 should give rugby fans plenty to cheer.

“I’m sure they’ll relish having free-to-air international rugby this summer and I’m delighted we’ve got more to come in the form of Ireland’s autumn internationals against the All Blacks and Argentina later in the year.”

These internationals are the latest addition to Channel 4’s rugby portfolio which also included live coverage of the Heineken Champions Cup Final between La Rochelle and Toulouse on 22 May. In addition to Ireland’s tests against the All Blacks and Argentina, Channel 4 will broadcast a third Ireland game against another country, yet to be confirmed.

10th June 2021 0 comment