Electric off-road motor racing series Extreme E has secured a broadcast and streaming partnership with Discovery which will see the event screened in over 50 European markets on Eurosport.
According to the organisation, the event is described as ‘the championship’s most expansive broadcast and streaming partnership’ with the deal also boosting Extreme E’s reach in North America via MotorTrend.
As a result MotorTrend, the motoring specific streaming service, and Eurosport will broadcast a variety of programming including highlights, on-demand access and live race action. All of the shows will be delivered in local languages by a variety of motorsport experts.
Ali Russell, Chief Marketing Officer at Extreme E, stated: “It is fantastic news that Discovery has joined our expanding list of broadcast partners. With its extensive portfolio of channels and direct-to-consumer platforms around dedicated passion verticals, Discovery’s brands are visible all over the world and will be instrumental in bringing Extreme E to a truly global audience.
“As a sport for purpose, our broadcast partners are vital in helping deliver a message focussing on sustainability, green technology and innovation, bridging the gap between research and development, racing and road. This not only excites fans on the capabilities of electric vehicles, but also challenges some of the best female and male drivers in some of the most extreme environments in the world.”
Extreme E, which kicks off its inaugural season in early 2021, features five races across a variety of terrains and remote locations including arctic, desert, rainforest, glacier, and coastal.
The reasoning for this is to visit locations which have been negatively impacted by climate change and human influences. Whilst providing live sporting action, the series aims to raise awareness of these issues in the hope that it inspires viewers to consider their own environmental impact.
Trojan Paillot, VP Rights Acquisitions at Eurosport, commented: “By partnering with Extreme E, we are harnessing our global portfolio of brands, channels and products across the wider Discovery network to scale a unique and invigorating event to viewers across the world.
“We have a rich history of showcasing the world’s most exciting and sustainable motorsport events including Formula E and Eurosport Events operated PURE ETCR, the world’s first all-electric touring car championship. By building on this knowledge and expertise, we are confident we can bring Extreme E to millions of screens and build passionate communities of fans in key markets around the world.”
Discovery joins the long list of global broadcast partners who have secured rights to air the new competition including the BBC (UK), FOX Sports (United States, Canada and the Caribbean), FOX Sports Asia (Southeast Asia), FOX Sports Australia, Mediaset (Italy), Sony India (Indian subcontinent), TVNZ (New Zealand), RTM (Malaysia), Dubai Sports (Middle East), RDS (Canada), China Sports Zhibo.tv (China), RTL 7 (The Netherlands), ORF (Austria), RTS (Senegal) and BTRC (Belarus).
