FOX Sports has signed a multi-year, international multi-media deal with the FIA Formula E Championship, the world’s first fully-electric car racing series beginning in September 2014.
Formula E is a new FIA Championship featuring open-wheel cars powered exclusively by electricity and racing in the heart of 10 of the world’s leading cities, including two in the US with Los Angeles and Miami. Designed to promote interest and investment in electric vehicles and sustainable motoring, 10 teams each with two drivers will compete in one hour races using Formula cars capable of reaching speeds of more than 220kph with zero emissions.
As well as two races in the US, last month saw leading IndyCar outfit Andretti Autosport become the first US team to join Formula E. Six of the 10 teams have now been signed for the inaugural season, three of which have already been announced with Andretti Autosport, China Racing and British-based Drayson Racing.
As well as full US broadcast exclusivity across the FOX family of networks, including FOX Sports 1, America’s new sports network set to launch on August 17th, FOX Sports also has exclusive and non-exclusive rights in more than 80 territories including Canada, Latin America/Caribbean, Netherlands, Italy, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Taiwan, South Korea, Australia, key Asian territories and other areas of Asia, India and Africa.
The deal, across all territories, includes exclusive and non-exclusive on-line and mobile transmission rights.
“This series makes racing very relevant well into the future,” said Carlos Martinez, President Latin America for FOX International Channels, who helped broker the deal. “With a global approach to acquiring knowledge and fast-tracking technology through the world of international racing competition, the FIA Formula E Championship is much more than just another weekend at the track…it makes racing an integral part of solving one of the world’s most daunting challenges and we are thrilled to be a part of that process.”
“We are very proud to announce this major agreement between FOX and the FIA Formula E Championship and to be partnering a truly global organization that fully believes in the future of racing,” said Alejandro Agag, CEO of Championship promoter Formula E Holdings. “This global broadcasting deal will bring our Championship to nearly 90 countries and a potential 180 million households worldwide, giving our partners, our teams, and our team’s partners a platform to visualize the association to the values of this competition. We are particularly happy to join FOX at the time when FOX Sports 1 is being launched. America is a key market for electric cars and to show our races live in the US will be central to promoting this type of mobility.”
