The MSA British Rally Championship will continue its partnership with mainstream terrestrial broadcaster Channel 4 for the 2017 season, writes Gary Jones.
Building upon the successful relaunch of Britain’s premier rallying series in 2016, Channel 4 will show a 30-minute highlights programme on the Saturday morning after each round next season, with a repeat broadcast the following week.
The action will also be available to view on Channel 4’s online catch-up service, All 4, shortly afterwards.
Channel 4’s coverage reached more than 1,000,000 viewers during the 2016 series as World Rally Championship star Elfyn Evans battled his way to title success – 20 years after his father Gwyndaf took the same accolade, and they are pictured above.
Dramatic on-board shots, picturesque aerial footage and heat-of-the-moment interviews are woven into the stage-side action across the gravel and Tarmac tests – captivating rally fans old and new.
“When we set out to revamp the BRC, we identified that free-to-air television coverage was one of the biggest priorities to help establish the credibility of the new championship,” explained BRC Managing Director, Ben Taylor.
“We are delighted that the series has been well received in an encouraging first year and that has enabled us to extend our relationship with Channel 4.
“We have some exciting plans to develop the programme and build on the strong content that Hayfisher produced in 2016 to ensure that we reach wider audiences.”
The coverage means that the Red Bull TV reports live from each WRC round will ensure rally fans have the biggest selection of events to watch for many seasons.