Le Mans 24 Hours and FIA WEC to be broadcast on Eurosport for next four years
Eurosport has signed a long-term deal to present live coverage of the FIA World Endurance Championship and the 24 Hours of Le Mans, negotiated by Infront Sports & Media, the exclusive media rights partner of The Automobile Club de l’Ouest (ACO) and FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC).
The agreement will see Eurosport offer live race action throughout Europe and the Asia Pacific region over the next four years up to and including 2020.
Eurosport has been a long standing rights holder of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, offering motorsport fans live coverage, behind-the-scenes footage and track-side interviews. Under the new agreement, the broadcaster will continue to offer full coverage of the 24 Hours of Le Mans as well as live coverage from each of the remaining eight rounds of the WEC.
Live race coverage will continue to be available across multiple platforms, including Eurosport channels and Eurosport Player - the live and on-demand digital platform which will also offer a range of additional content, such as on-board camera feeds.
Peter Hutton, Chief Executive of Eurosport said: “Motorsport fans are some of the most committed you can find, so we are delighted to extend our agreement to show the legendary 24 Hours of Le Mansand the world’s best endurance races to continue to fuel their passion for the sport. We look forward to more of this unique series over the next four years, available to fans at home and on-the-go across Eurosport’s platforms.”
Pierre Fillon, President of the Automobile Club de l’Ouest said: “We’re very happy about the renewal of our partnership with Eurosport for Le Mans 24 Hours for the next four years. We’re delighted that this agreement also guarantees continued coverage of the FIA World Endurance Championship. We’re very focused on developing TV coverage of the Le Mans 24 Hours and the FIA WEC, and we gave an undertaking to our partners to achieve this. This new agreement confirms our determination. It will strengthen our positioning and result in the enhanced broadcasting of our world championship events and the flagship race, the Le Mans 24 Hours, across Europe and Asia-Pacific.”
Gérard Neveu, CEO of the FIA WEC added: “The announcement regarding Eurosport’s continued coverage of the World Endurance Championship is very good news indeed for all motorsport fans, and especially those of endurance racing. The channel’s extensive reach covers many international borders and, by showing live the excitement and non-stop action of our WEC races around the globe, it entertains millions and puts a spotlight on us which will also bring new fans through our doors, both physically and virtually.”