Terrestrial television coverage of the ELF/BTE Lawline Renault Clio Cup and Formula Renault UK Championship with Michelin is proving highly popular with armchair viewers according to early-season figures released by Granada Sport, producer of ITV1 magazine programme Motorsport UK.
For several seasons the Renault championships have been among the most watched in the country and this year’s broadcasts have already proven both Renault Clio Cup and Formula Renault UK are more popular than ever.
Of the broadcasts featuring Renault Clio Cup and Formula Renault UK action this year, viewing figures have ranged from around the 150,000 mark to almost 300,000 per show. This compares favourably with the 200,000 viewer average recorded during the 2003 season.
The peak audience on Motorsport UK so far this year was for the opening rounds of the 2004 ELF/BTE Lawline Renault Clio Cup which attracted 293,000 viewers – equating to an audience share of almost 13 per cent.
In total last year, both Renault Clio Cup and Formula Renault UK were watched on ITV1 by four million armchair fans - a notable increase on the previous season’s coverage – and with 12 rounds of each championship still to be screened this year, hopes are high the 2004 viewing figures will once again see another attractive increase.
Championship Manager of Renault Clio Cup and Formula Renault UK, Simon North, commented: “Last week Motorsport UK was shown directly after the Formula One highlights show and the week before it was broadcast immediately after the World Rally Championship coverage from Argentina so we are bound to pick up increasing audience numbers. Without doubt we now have best-ever coverage of our championships.”
Motorsport UK is broadcast between 01.00 and 01.30 hours on Sunday nights/Monday mornings on ITV1 with replay showings on Motors TV, channel 413 of the Sky Digital platform. Live coverage from the Sunday of every TOCA Tour round can also be viewed on Motors TV throughout the season.
For all the latest Formula Renault UK Championship with Michelin and ELF/BTE Lawline Renault Clio Cup news visit the official Renault UK Motorsport website www.renaultsport.co.uk built by Racecar
