The Foxtel Group and Seven have both announced a new deal with Supercars.
Fox Group announced a new five-year term with Supercars from 2021-2025, while Seven announced the return of Supercars to the Network from 2021.
Over at Foxtel, the new deal ensures every Repco Supercars Championship session is shown Live with no ad-breaks during racing on Foxtel and to stream on Kayo Sports, Foxtel GO and Foxtel Now.
The deal will make Fox Sports the longest continuous broadcast partnership for the sport in the Supercars era from 1997.
Premier Supercars events including Bathurst, Adelaide, Townsville and the Gold Coast will have dedicated wall-to-wall coverage of every session Live on Fox Sports, while at least half of the season will be broadcast exclusively on Fox Sports.
Adding to the new deal will be a special launch event exclusive to the Foxtel Group.
Foxtel Group Chief Executive Officer, Patrick Delany, said: “I’m pleased to have a new five-year agreement in place for the Supercars Championship, putting our subscribers in the driver’s seat for all the excitement and action of every race.
“Our relationship with Supercars dates back to 2015, and along with Formula One and MotoGP, has established Foxtel as the home of Australia’s premium motorsport experience while Kayo has opened up motorsport to a new audience of streaming viewers.
“Motorsport has never been more popular in Australia. Overall our motorsport audiences are up by 35% this year compared to 2019, with streaming growth for the category on Foxtel Now, Foxtel GO and Kayo is up 82%. Supercars are quintessentially Australian, and the Championship is a core part of our motorsport offering attracting huge audiences in its own right. The iconic Bathurst 1000 recorded the highest rating day in subscription television history in 2019.
“While the 2020 season has faced disruptions from COVID-19, the team at Supercars have done an outstanding job of keeping their loyal and passionate fan base entertained and most of all producing world-class competition. We are looking forward to bringing Supercars to our growing legion of motorsport fans like no one else can over the next five years.”
Over at Seven, from 2021, six Supercars races will be broadcast Live and Free on the Seven Network, including the iconic Bathurst 1000, plus the Bathurst 12 Hour race. Seven’s Live and Free coverage will include live streaming on 7plus, Seven’s market-leading BVOD platform.
Highlights from other races of the Supercars Championship will be replayed on the Seven Network and 7plus the same day of the race, delivering a comprehensive and unbeatable experience for fans, for free.
The return of Supercars to Seven marks the next step in Seven’s motorsport legacy and builds on the Network’s history of broadcasting Supercars, which it previously did from 1963 to 1996 and again from 2007 to 2014.
James Warburton, Seven West Media Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, said: “Seven and Supercars have so much shared history, so we’re excited to begin the next part of our story together with this multi-year deal. Seven has long been a pioneer in motorsport coverage; our world-leading innovations include the iconic RaceCam, which made its debut in our coverage of the 1979 Bathurst 1000.
“I want to thank Sean, the Supercars Board and the Supercars team for this outcome, which is a great result for Seven, Supercars, and most importantly, the fans. It will help fuel the growth of the sport into the future. We can’t wait to bring Supercars home to Seven from next year.”
Sean Seamer, Supercars CEO, said: “This is an exciting day for Supercars. Not only are we
continuing our great relationship with Fox Sports, but now announcing a new agreement with
our original broadcast partners, the Seven Network for our free to air coverage. This caps off
a great few months for the sport in challenging times which is testament to all the work that
the entire team has put in to not only keep this year’s championship going but preparing us
for the future too.”
Lewis Martin, Managing Director Seven Melbourne and Network Head of Sport, said: “Motorsport has always been a passion of ours at Seven, and there’s no greater motorsport in Australia than Supercars. We’re thrilled to bring Supercars back to Seven from next year and with it what are sure to be so many more iconic Australian motorsport moments.
“This partnership between Seven and Supercars is going to deliver a spectacular experience for viewers, with these key races Live and Free on Seven and 7plus, and every race replayed the same day – simply an unbeatable offering.
“Everyone at Seven is excited to continue our legacy of broadcasting Supercars, delivering our audience a better experience than ever before.”
Seven’s coverage of Supercars will begin as the 2021 Supercars Championship gets underway early next year.
