Television coverage of the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship will be revolutionised in 2005 with Britain’s biggest commercial terrestrial channel, ITV1, confirming it will broadcast live race action from seven of the BTCC’s ten race meetings, as well as showing mid-week repeats of all the action.
The seven live BTCC programmes will include highlights from the day’s first race, race two in its entirety and race three as it happens. Full-length repeats of the live programmes will be shown in late night slots on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
Action from the three non-live meetings will be shown in a specially packaged BTCC programme the following weekend. These programmes will also be repeated in late night, mid-week slots on ITV1.
ITV1’s coverage of the BTCC will equate to some 25 hours. That is more than double the contracted amount of 2004, when approximately 12 million viewers tuned in to watch the BTCC re-emerge as Britain’s most exciting and most talked about motor racing championship.
Tuesday’s and Wednesday’s highlights will also mean that the BTCC reaches a new, late-night terrestrial TV audience and a sizeable increase in viewing figures. As a result, it is anticipated that the BTCC ITV audience figure for 2005 will approach some 20 million.
BTCC Series Director Alan Gow said: "This new arrangement for 2005 underlines ITV's enthusiasm for, and commitment to, the BTCC. It is by far the biggest broadcasting arrangement in the history of the championship, with 70 per cent of our rounds telecast live on ITV1, plus mid-week repeats. In fact, the only reason we could not get all ten rounds televised live was due to a clashing World Rally Championship event and late date changes in the Formula One calendar, which caused scheduling conflicts on those dates.”
Handling coverage of the BTCC will be Independent Sports Network (ISN)/Granada Sport, the company responsible for production of major international sporting events on ITV – from football’s UEFA Champions League to co-production of its Formula One broadcasts.
Gow added: “With such a comprehensive television schedule, and greatly improved programme production through the expertise of ISN/Granada Sport, nobody is going to miss the enthralling action or excitement. ITV should be applauded for getting right behind our great British championship.”
ITV Controller of Sport Mark Sharman commented: "I'm delighted that all rounds of the BTCC will be screened on ITV1 this year. The BTCC provided some of the best British motor sport television in 2004 – the races were bumper to bumper with plenty of thrills, spills and overtaking – and we hope for more of the same in 2005."
Top racing host Vicki Butler-Henderson will present all the action and Ben Edwards will provide commentary alongside former BTCC champion driver Tim Harvey.
Dunlop MSA BTCC on ITV1 in 2005:
Meeting Schedule Date Time (provisional)
Donington Park LIVE Sunday 10 April 15:30-17:00
Thruxton Highlights Saturday 7 May TBA
Brands Hatch LIVE Sunday 5 June 16:00-17:00
Oulton Park LIVE Sunday 19 June 16:00-17:30
Croft LIVE Sunday 17 July 16:00-17:00
Mondello Park LIVE Sunday 24 July 15:05-17:00
Snetterton Highlights Saturday 13 August TBA
Knockhill Highlights Saturday 3 September TBA
Silverstone LIVE Sunday 18 September 16.00-17.00
Brands Hatch LIVE Sunday 2 October 15.30-17.00
* Check your TV guide nearer the date for broadcast times of Tuesday and Wednesday night highlight programmes
