Seven revs up on motorsports

Seven West Media will add Australian motorsport to its broadcasting stable in the new year, signing a multi-year deal with Australian Racing Group.

Seven West Media will add Australian motorsport to its broadcasting stable in the new year, signing a multi-year deal with Australian Racing Group.

James Warburton, newly appointed chief executive of Seven West Media, sits on the board as non-executive director of the motor sports events business set up by former Wilson Security chief executive John McMellan and property developer Brian Boyd, and has invested in the business.

Mr Warburton was also previously chief executive of Supercars, a role which saw him sign the sport’s biggest media deal, a six-year $241 million television rights contract with Fox Sports, Foxtel and Ten. The price of the new deal has not been disclosed.

Under the multi-year arrangement, Seven will broadcast Australian Racing Group events including the TCR Australia Series, S5000 and categories from the Shannons Motorsport Australia Championships, providing a minimum of six hours of coverage on Saturday and Sunday on Seven Network and through simulcast on Seven’s online platform, 7 Plus.

Seven will also broadcast The Hi-Tec Oils Bathurst 6 Hour and the Bathurst International. The inaugural TCR Australia Series and the S5000 were previously broadcast on SBS.

The network has a long history of motorsport coverage, previously broadcasting the Australian Touring Car Championship and the Bathurst 1000.

Lewis Martin, managing director of Seven Melbourne and head of network sport, said motorsport was a long-term “passion” of the network.

“This agreement marks the next step in our commitment to motorsport, and we look forward to working with Australian Racing Group to bring these events to Australians live and free from 2020,” Mr Martin said.

Matt Braid, director of Australian Racing Group said he was looking forward to building the sport with Seven.

“ARG is extremely pleased to announce our new broadcast partnership with the 7 Network and look forward to continuing to develop the TCR Australia Series, and the new S5000 Championship with the support of Australia’s leading Television network,” Mr Braid said.

Seven is home to a number of other sports, including The Tokyo 2020 Olympics, AFL and the cricket.