Thank God... TV media moguls have finally agreed to screen the FIA World Rally Championship to UK audiences on free-to-air terrestrial television – namely ITV4 and ITV4 HD – for the remainder of 2013! Hooray! Not only that... for our home event of Wales Rally GB two additional 30-minute highlight programmes will be broadcast on Friday and Saturday evenings during the event. Double hooray!
Naturally, the news has been enthusiastically welcomed by International Motor Sports Limited, organiser of Wales Rally GB (14-17 November), Britain’s concluding round of the 2013 WRC – with its new-look route, North Wales base and the welcome return of night stages for the hardcore rally fans and more family-friendly town spectator stages.
Following an agreement between WRC Promoter GmbH, the WRC’s new commercial rights holder, and leading UK television network ITV all remaining rounds of the globe-trotting WRC will be broadcast on both ITV4 and ITV4 HD channels. The coverage actually started several months ago but only now has the programming for the full season – including additional airtime for Wales Rally GB – been confirmed.
Highlights from all remaining rounds of the 2013 FIA World Rally Championship will be featured in a series of action-packed, stand-alone, one-hour programmes and will be transmitted in the week following each WRC round. And these programmes also will be available for subsequent repeat viewing as well as for additional exposure on mobile devices via the ITV.com website and ITV Player.
"This is fantastic news for the vast numbers of hard-core rally fans here in the UK as well as for a much wider television audience seeking some truly breath-taking entertainment," enthused Andrew Coe, Chief Executive of IMS. "Top class rallying is one of the world’s most spectacular sports and now UK viewers can follow all the thrilling action as the WRC travels around the globe en route to what’s going to be a fitting finale right here in the legendary Welsh forests. With its strong reputation for screening world-class sports such as the Champions League and the Tour de France, ITV4 is the perfect broadcaster for WRC. More importantly perhaps, these very welcome programmes will not only provide UK rally enthusiasts with free-to-air WRC coverage for the first time in five years but also help to introduce an all-new generation of thrill-seeking fans to what’s possibly the most stunning form of motor sport."
Reverting its traditional end-of-season date, Wales Rally GB is the grand finale to this year’s 13-round WRC which commenced with the classic Monte Carlo Rally in January.
For the latest updates, directions and stage information, follow Wales Rally GB on Twitter @walesrallygb, join the conversations on Facebook at www.facebook.com/walesrallygb or visit the website www.walesrallygb.com
Photo credit: www.worldrallypics.com.
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