The first round of the John Cooper Challenge will hit the TV screens on Thursday 22 April when the first of 12 dedicated half-hour programmes is screened on Sky Sports Extra.
The first programme covers the opening event of the season at Lydden Hill, when the drivers encountered incredibly slippery conditions. Series newcomer Martin Wallbank (S Class) and rising young star Stephen Campbell (Club Class) were the major winners in the sprint that made history as the first competitive event for the superb new Works MINI Cooper S.
The programme will benefit from a series of repeats following the first prime-time screening and the full schedule is as follows:
Thursday 22 April; 18.30, Sky Sports Extra
Thursday 22 April; 20.00, Sky Sports 2
Thursday 22 April; 24.00, Sky Sports 3
Friday 23 April; 01.30, Sky Sports 2
Friday 23 April; 07.30, Sky Sports 2
Friday 23 April; 11.00, Sky Sports 2
Programme two in the Sky Sports series, featuring round two of the John Cooper Challenge from the scenic Wiscombe Park hillclimb venue, will be screened in mid-May. Please note that TV schedules are subject to change, so TV listings should be checked for the latest scheduling.
In addition, the action from the John Cooper Challenge will be broadcast globally on Star TV, with up to 12-minutes of highlights from each event of the 12 championship rounds. Star TV reaches over 300 million viewers across Asia and has a weekly audience of over 170 million. The coverage on Star TV for the John Cooper Challenge highlights the global interest in the series and the new Works Cooper S.
"The John Cooper Challenge makes great television," says series creator Mike Cooper. "We have a great bunch of competitors from all walks of life, and that helps ensure some excellent TV programmes. Having prime-time programmes on Sky Sports is a key part of the complete JCC package, and getting the global exposure on Star TV is another major boost. It just goes to show that the MINI Cooper is a global brand!"
