ESPN to Broadcast WRC

[dpbird90]

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/88879

Maybe we can finally look forward to some decent coverage?

[Nicol@]

It doesn't sound any different to what we have had already.

Is this replacing the Motorstv and Dave coverage?

and is ESPN a free channel?

Edited by Nicol@ on Wednesday 12th January 14:52

[EDLT]

From WRC.com:

"Fans of the FIA World Rally Championship living in the United Kingdom will have the chance to watch more coverage of their sport than ever before thanks to a new television deal announced today.

ESPN, the world’s leading multinational, multimedia sports entertainment company, has reached an exclusive agreement with North One Sport, the promoter of the WRC, to show the sport in the UK.

The deal will provide motorsport fans with 4.5 hours of programming per rally - the most extensive season-long coverage of the WRC to date - with even more content appearing on ESPN’s multiple media platforms, such as ESPN Classic and ESPN.co.uk.

The coverage will begin on 2 February with an hour-long documentary ‘Road car to rally car’ which follows the development of the new MINI World Rally Car and includes exclusive behind-the-scenes footage. Each of the 13 events will be previewed in a one hour programme, ‘Rally World’, starting on 2 February with a look ahead to the season opener, Rally Sweden, which starts on 10 February.

Thirty minute highlights programmes will be screened in the evenings of all three days of a rally, and the following week rally fans can watch ‘Access All Areas’ - a one hour look at the event showcasing the best of the action, in depth features and analysis.

ESPN will bring new elements to WRC broadcasting, including live studio-hosted coverage of the new ‘Power Stages’ for up to 13 rallies (and on a same-day delay in cases of schedule conflict).

Additionally in 2011, ESPN Classic will feature 30 one-hour WRC archive programmes, as well as two brand-new documentary programmes, and ESPN.co.uk - ESPN’s UK online sports portal - will provide news and video highlights online.

Simon Long, CEO of North One Sport said: “This is a pioneering TV agreement, not only in the UK but globally. It brings the exciting prospect of more coverage, fresh programming and more promotion than ever before. The combination of the innovative content, production and digital promotion that ESPN offers combined with our revamped sport is extremely good news as we seek to reach out to new fans in the UK.”

Specific production details for ESPN’s coverage are in development and will be announced in the run up to the start of the WRC season. The WRC joins ESPN’s growing stable of multimedia motorsports content and coverage, which includes live or delayed television coverage of DTM, FIA GT1, Superleague Formula, F3 Euro Series, VW Scirocco R-Cup and NHRA Drag Racing, as well as the ESPNF1.com - the online and mobile site providing 24/7 year-long coverage of F1.

“WRC is a superb, dynamic product with a fervent following a growing legion of enthusiasts, and fits extremely well as a key part of ESPN’s growing portfolio of motorsports from across the UK and Europe,” said Jeroen Oerlemans, vice president and channel manager, ESPN - Europe, the Middle East and Africa."

So its the most interesting WRC season in years, and I don't have sky.

Edited by EDLT on Wednesday 12th January 14:25

[Pkh72]

.... and you still have to pay extra for ESPN.

Another great decision to limit the potential audience.

[FasterFreddy]

I wouldn't get your hopes up until you've seen the first broadcast (if you subscribe and can be bothered, which I don't and can't).

I thought I'd read somewhere that one of the terrestrial channels was broadcasting WRC this year, but I must be wrong.

[EDLT]

FasterFreddy said:

I wouldn't get your hopes up until you've seen the first broadcast (if you subscribe and can be bothered, which I don't and can't).

I thought I'd read somewhere that one of the terrestrial channels was broadcasting WRC this year, but I must be wrong.

No mention of it on the Dave website and they would have been advertising it since before Christmas. Whoever owns WRC seems determined to kill it.

[Nicol@]

I wonder how high the percentage loss of viewers will be (I am not prepared to pay for ESPN)?

[FasterFreddy]

I should have read the article. It was close to a deal with Five but that must have fallen through so ESPN, who are trying to sign up anyone they can get, must have put a deal together at the last minute.

You can subscribe to ESPN through Freeview, but then it's not FREEview and I doubt very much that the coverage will be anything special with production budgets they way they are right now.

[zeb]

I can get ESPN classic but not he main ESPN channel on sky, its not available on freeview so should now shuffle off to die a slow and lonely death in the annuls of obscurity.

Bring back group B, live on the beeb sunday afternoon I say !

[Ranger 6]

Autosport article said:

...It had been hoped the WRC would return to terrestrial television in the UK in 2011 - with a deal with the Five station said to have come close to delivering that - but the sport remains on satellite, albeit with more coverage than ever....

fked it then

Bunch of tossers, will kill the sport althought thier 'surveys' will tell them they have the most viewers on satellite.

[geofflowe]

Nicol@ said:

I wonder how high the percentage loss of viewers will be (I am not prepared to pay for ESPN)?

Channel 34 on Freeview - just spoke to North One TV. If its PPV they can stuff it though......

.....just seen it PPV - £120 for the year, well they can sod off. I really enjoyed WRC but that has killed it dead for me - I'll just have to try to find it on You Tube or something - real real shame.

Edited by geofflowe on Wednesday 12th January 15:51

[stephen300o]

Ranger 6 said:

Autosport article said:

...It had been hoped the WRC would return to terrestrial television in the UK in 2011 - with a deal with the Five station said to have come close to delivering that - but the sport remains on satellite, albeit with more coverage than ever....

fked it then

Bunch of tossers, will kill the sport althought thier 'surveys' will tell them they have the most viewers on satellite.

You would to have to resuscitate the WRC to kill it.

[weyland yutani]

The Motors TV coverage was ste and Dave was aimed squarely at the casual viewer but WRC just isn't exciting enough to warrant subscription to ESPN either . . . at least we'l have F1 in HD

[Nick M]

I used to enjoy rallying up to about the point of the McRae, Makkinen era. Sort of lost interest all interest after Sainz retired and have only been a casual observer since then. Not sure why, but it may be the lack of overall competition within the championship and the cars seeming a bit, well, dull.

But if it's going to ESPN and I'd have to pay for the 'privilege' of watching it, well, sorry but that's not going to happen...

Stupid, stupid move IMO, considering the IRC gets decent coverage on Eurosport.

[IainW]

Five are still planning to show a highlights show on the Monday after the event. ESPN also say they'll show it on ESPN Classic, obviously delayed to when it's shown on their pay channels. Shouldn't be too much of a delay though, I've been using Classic over the past couple of nights to watch the FA Cup games they broadcasted at the weekend there.

[Allyc85]

I will be finding free ways to watch it as im not forking out even more money a month!

The promoters are a joke, they seem to be pushing the sport in this country even further out of the public eye! I was at Wales Rally GB and if you wernt into the sport you wouldnt have had a clue it was on there was so little publicity.

Today the WRC died another death.

[caz4213]

I'm a massive WRC fan and have stuck through watching it the last few years even though the most exciting thing about it has been wondering who's going to finish second to Loeb. Thought that this coming season might be more competitive with more drivers, more cars, more teams and generally more excitement. As st as the Dave coverage was last year at least I got to watch some rallies. Being a poor student (for the next two years at least) means I can't afford ESPN, which means that my coverage of the season will be me turning up for Wales Rally GB and wondering how the hell the championship is going and whether Loeb's already won it. Whoever's in charge of the WRC ought to be shot, then fired. Put Bernie in charge instead (now there's something I never thought I'd say...)

[anonymous-user]

If anyone is interested, and has sky, i think espn is about £9 a month, and isnt a fixed term contract, so if you decide after a month that their coverage of the wrc is ste, then you can just cancel it.

[C Lee Farquar]

I thought the Dave coverage was much improved last year, no clueless z listers for one.

Much as I enjoy it, I can't see me paying £9 a month.

[Allyc85]

Well it does appear that Motors Tv is still showing the WRC, but it still dosnt hide the fact that putting the sport on ESPN only really appeals to those who really like the sport and the piss poor job the "promoters" are doing for the sport I love.

Motors TV rally coverage for Sweden is on at..

WRC, Round 1: Rally Sweden, 10-13 February on Motors TV
- Day 1 (52 minutes): Friday 11 February at 22h35.
- Day 2 (52 minutes): Saturday 12 February at 22h35.
- Day 3 (52 minutes): Sunday 13 February at 22h35.
- Highlights (52 minutes): Tuesday 21 February at 22hh00