'Racing Rivals' aims for One Million TV Audience
over Four Stations
12
March 2004
'Racing Rivals', the docu-soap programme that follows drivers
in the SEAT Cupra Championship, will aim for One Million viewers per
episode this year as the series will expand and be broadcast (subject
to contract) on Channel 4, Bravo, Motors TV and ITV.
4D Productions, in association with Granada Sport, will produce two
separate programmes: ‘Racing Rivals’, which delves behind-the-scenes
of the racing drivers at home, work and at the circuits, and ‘Racing
Rivals Highlights’, which focuses more on the motor racing.
Channel 4 will broadcast the 30 minutes ‘Racing Rivals’ programmes
over six weekends, with each episode televised in the morning and then
repeated late at night. As an indication of potential audience
figures, Transworld Sport (broadcast on 31st January 2004 at 08.00)
drew an average audience of 331,000, while Alpine Skiing (broadcast
on 24th January 2004 at 02.15) attracted an average audience of 99,000.
The producers of ‘Racing Rivals’ are negotiating with Channel
4 about it also broadcasting the ‘Racing Rivals Highlights’ series.
Satellite and cable channel Bravo will broadcast 10 x 30 minute episodes
of ‘Racing Rivals’ on a prime time weekday slot (between
20.00-21.00). Each episode will be repeated up to six times and
Bravo is anticipating an audience of between 300,000-400,000.
Motors TV is keen to broadcast both ‘Racing Rivals’ and ‘Racing
Rivals Highlights’, with each episode repeated up to 10 times
and a projected total audience of 120,000.
With SEAT Sport UK’s British Touring Car Championship driver Jason Plato
a presenter on ITV’s new ‘Speed Sunday’ programme, the SEAT
Cupra Championship will feature on the channel’s magazine style summary
programme that covers the TOCA Tour support races. The programme will be broadcast
late at night and is provisionally scheduled for 02.00-03.00 on Tuesday night/Wednesday
morning. The average audience for is mid-week slot on ITV is 198,000 – a
19% share of all viewing.
The Average Combined Viewership of when ‘Racing Rivals’ and ‘Racing
Rivals Highlights’ are provisionally scheduled to be broadcast on Channel
4, Bravo, Motors TV and ITV are:
| Channel 4 (Saturday morning) |
331,000 |
| Channel 4 (late night) |
99,000 |
| Bravo |
300,000 (inc. repeats) |
| Motors TV (Racing Rivals Highlights) |
60,000 |
| Motors TV |
60,000 |
| ITV Night |
150,000 |
| Total |
1,000,000 |
Scott Dennis, SEAT UK Motorsport Manager, said: “The television package
we are in the process of finalising will give registered drivers and sponsors
excellent exposure on four major channels and underlines the outstanding profile-raising
opportunities on offer in the SEAT Cupra Championship. Last year ‘Racing
Rivals’ was groundbreaking in the way the television cameras followed the
drivers of a foremost British motor racing championship in a reality TV style. The
producers aim to build on that pioneering docu-soap format in 2004 and also create
a separate ‘Racing Rivals Highlights’ programme for fans who want
to see more of the race action.”
See series calendar for SEAT
Cupra Championship 2004
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