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Bikes on TV

Jon and Anya

Registered User
This is great news for all race fans.

News, 11/01/06

The Promoter and Organisers of Britain's premier motorsport series, the Bennetts British Superbike Championship, announced a major development for the Series with the news that Britain's largest commercial broadcaster, ITV, will broadcast the championship, with planned live coverage of all of this season's 13 events on their prime network terrestrial channel, ITV1.

Currently subject to contract, the new TV package, which covers initially the 2006 and 2007 seasons, with an option to extend further into the future, is an important step forward for BSB, as well as marking the return of top level motorcycle racing to the channel for the first time since the 1980's when the ITV World of Sport Superbike Challenge thrilled TV viewers with epic battles between the likes of the late-Barry Sheene, Ron Haslam (father of current BSB star Leon), Wayne Gardner and Randy Mamola.

Dorna UK Managing Director, Tony Partis was delighted with the deal, commenting: "This is an incredibly positive development for the Bennetts British Superbike Championship and we are thrilled that ITV is to cover the series with live coverage. We are continually looking at ways to improve the appeal of BSB and this is fantastic news for everyone associated with the championship - manufacturers, teams, sponsors and, most importantly, our fans."

MCRCB-Events BSB Series Director, Stuart Higgs added: "All BSB programmes will be scheduled on Sunday afternoons as well as three Bank Holiday Monday events, and we will work closely with ITV to refine the final format of each programme. This represents a tremendous opportunity to showcase the spectacle of the Series to its biggest ever potential audience."

Mark Sharman, ITV Controller of Sport, commented: "The British Superbike Championship provides genuine sports entertainment high quality racing with plenty of thrills. We also have some exciting young riders coming through, so I?m delighted to bring this series to a wider audience. ITV?s motorsport portfolio includes Formula 1, the World Rally Championship and the British Touring Car Championship?
 
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