24 Hours Of Live TV Coverage Secured for Silverstone Classic

Motors TV commit to full two-day broadcast across the UK and Europe for 2008 and 2009

European satellite broadcaster Motors TV have enthusiastically committed to a 2-year minimum arrangement to broadcast live the Silverstone Classic during the main event race days, which this year are Saturday 26 and Sunday 27 July.

Motors TV broadcasts to 9 million homes across the UK and a further 5.5 million homes across Europe and the agreement represents a major achievement for the new event organisers. The entire race programme, starting at 9am each day, will receive continuous live coverage, with the exception of a 90-minute slot on Sunday afternoon when the DTM race from the Nurburgring will be shown. Races that are run during that break in the live coverage will be broadcast later that afternoon.

“The Silverstone Classic is a truly international event and as a pan European TV broadcaster Motors TV is the perfect partner,” said Silverstone Classic Event Director Roger Etcell. “The Classic is a very colourful festival and with an action packed three day schedule both on and off the track Motors TV quickly recognised the benefits of a live broadcast during the two race days. We are extremely excited about this development and for all of the advantages the live coverage will bring to the event as we work to improve and enhance the Silverstone Classic over the coming years.”

“Entering a partnership with the Silverstone Classic was an easy decision to make”, added Motors TV Head of Programming & Acquisitions Frédéric Viger, “it is a unique event, and bears a very special historic flavor. As soon as we started discussions with Roger Etcell it became evident that we had to show the full event LIVE, therefore we’ll be able to offer our viewers not only the racing, but also the atmosphere between the races which, I believe, is a major part of the event. Furthermore being a partner of such a big meeting is fully in line with our will of strengthening our links with British Motorsports”

Event Background:

The annual Silverstone Classic festival will be organised and promoted by Motion Works UK Limited (MWUK) on behalf of CAE (Silverstone) Limited, the company recently licensed by Silverstone to stage the event for the next five years.

The annual Silverstone Classic is a celebration of motor racing across all decades from the 1920s to the 1990s on a current FIA approved circuit and is not totally historic as it also invites more contemporary races such as Group C, Saloons and late Formula One cars to be raced and seen in their appropriate surroundings. Classic Car Owner Clubs from across the UK and overseas play an important supporting role in recent years with 4,000 cars expected this year. The event Auction remains an important landmark and features such as the Scarf & Goggles meeting area, art & photo galleries, period air displays, funfairs, themed catering, will be retained and enhanced, with new attractions being added over the next few years.

A new event website at www.silverstoneclassic.com is currently under development and is due for launch in the first week of March.