OT: BriSCA F1 on Channel 5 in 2007

[Chris29]

Statement from Coventry Racing Club:

STOCK Car racing at Coventry Stadium is to be featured on Channel 5 this season in a groundbreaking deal.

Coventry Racing Club, in conjunction with Startline Productions, have secured a season-long agreement for Brisca F1 Stock Cars to be shown in a series of eight one-hour highlights programmes.

The programmes will feature all the track action, driver interviews and the support formula.

Coventry Stadium’s Jeremy Heaver said: “We have had several opportunities to get Brisca F1 back onto TV in the last few years, ranging from late night free satellite channels to live paid for sports channels.
“However none of the previous offers gave us or our paying public what we wanted. This deal gives everybody what they want, which is a highlights programme on terrestrial TV shown a few days after the event, and then a repeat for those who miss it first time round.
“The initial deal is for the 2007 season but we are confident the viewing figures will enable us to secure a longer term deal.”

Michelle Orpe, who has experience of presenting drag racing on Sky, will add a touch of glamour to the proceedings as the programme anchor woman.

Coventry Racing Club have retained the sponsorship rights for the series and are actively looking for partners in time for the start of the season in April.

Heaver added: “It represents a great opportunity for sponsors to get large scale coverage for a relatively low investment.”.

Interested parties can contact Heaver at Coventry Stadium on (02476) 542395.

The stock car season runs from April to November, with Brandon staging meetings on the first Saturday of every month.

[Abo]

That's pretty cool

[pickup]

Good news indeed i've been a big fan of theirs for years.
I don't quite understand how they managed to secure a TV deal with one of the major channels when SCSA/pickups can't get coverage, i know SCSA have announced a deal with a production company to cover their races but at what cost? and will it be shown on one of the major channels the Pickups could have had a similar deal but the costs were to high and even after paying there is still no guarantee someone will broadcast it.
Anway good luck to Brisca i hope it's a success and look forward to watching it.

[Chris29]

I don't quite understand how they managed to secure a TV deal with one of the major channels when SCSA/pickups can't get coverage it.

As far as I understand, this is the culmination of around four years hard negotiating. BriSCA have rejected deals from Sky Sports (among others) which were little more than buying the airtime at a rather extortionate rate and then having to put a production together with the costs associated with that. BriSCA have put their house in order over the past year - this year has seen the first closed season without uncertainty of whether the season will start on time for years. Last season also saw a steady increase in spectator numbers. I think this stability has strengthened their position. BriSCA also had a production company ready to go.

The first showing will be on Five, while the repeat will be on Five US - part of Five's new digital channels. It really is an exceptional deal in the current climate of TV sport, particularly the retention of sponsorship rights.

[acorn]

it's also not like any other motorsport that's on c5 and therefore adds to the variety that's covered and could bring in new viewers to the channel(if the programmes and contents are advertised well). let's hope they keep the dustclouds down.

[Nick Brad]

Does anyone know if this will just be racing at Coventry or coverage from all BriSCA F1 events?

[Chris29]

Does anyone know if this will just be racing at Coventry or coverage from all BriSCA F1 events?

The deal is between Coventry and Channel 5 and not BriSCA as a whole. For this year, the coverage will consist of one F1 meeting per month from Coventry only on Five and repeated on Five US. It will be very interesting to see how this turns out, and - who knows - if successful, it may lead to coverage from other tracks in future.

[cgs]

it seems odd how a channel which has only just started up and marketed and only showing American shows is already straying away from that dynamic and showing non-American stuff.

i'm not saying this to be negative against Brisca, it just frustrates me when channels stray from what they suposedly represent

[Abo]

Filling airtime?

[acorn]

"Michelle Orpe, who has experience of presenting drag racing on Sky, will add a touch of glamour to the proceedings as the programme anchor woman."

I hope she does some serious research into what F1 stockcars are all about so that she doesn't come across as a complete plonker. She also needs to be taken round in one of the 2 seaters with other cars around her and making "light " contact so that she can experience it first hand.