Channel 4 secure the UK rights for World Superbike

Raceline Photography
By blue2bikes
February 9 2005

British firm Channel 4 has gained the rights to broadcast highlights of the 2005 World Superbike series on terrestrial television.

Unlike other broadcasters, Channel 4 will broadcast the highlights on their ‘Sport Zone’ show, taking place on a late Sunday evening on each of the weekends that the racing has taken place - and with a further showing the Sunday after. The programmes are to be 90 minutes long, and will be produced by BHP Sport, a production company with years of experience behind them in motorsports.

Each round will be presented from a London based studio, and when the two British rounds are taking place - at Silverstone and Brands Hatch - they will be presented directly from the tracks. A guest pundit will be introducing each round alongside Jonathan Green, who will provide the commentary.

Head of Sport, David Kerr, said, “WSBK is a terrific spectacle, and it will be great to watch a British World Champion defend his title. This is a genuine addition to our weekend output, and we hope British fans will enjoy our coverage.” The Executive Producer of BHP Sport said, “We are thrilled to be producing the highlights coverage for Channel 4 - the WSBK enters a new era for British viewers.”

Chief Executive of FGSPORT, who own the rights and provide the world television feeds, said, “We are delighted to start a co-operation with Channel 4, and our agreement will keep the terrestrial window open to the WSBK fans - and we really hope this can be a first step in a wider involvement of Channel 4 and future editions of our series.”

With Sky Television gaining the rights to broadcast the British Superbike series, this comes as good news for those who do not own a Sky box - where payments are required to view motorcycle broadcasts. Apart from Eurosport, who broadcast such events, the Channel 4 agreement can only mean good news for those who want to watch every round on the evening of the race.