ESPN STAR Sports (ESS) has emerged as a formidable competitor in the motor sports arena: before the first checquered flag of the season was waved, the region’s biggest sports broadcaster had sold out its offering to advertisers.
ESS’ Formula One package provides its advertisers with unprecedented reach and visibility. Formula One is broadcast LIVE each fortnight on STAR Sports Asia, STAR Sports India and STAR Sports Taiwan. In total, the three STAR Sports networks will deliver more than 240 hours of the best Formula One coverage available on television throughout Asia this season.
Advertisers quick off the mark to secure the limited ESS Formula One sponsorship opportunities include Honda, Alliance, Computer Associates and Orange.
Supplementing ESS’ live race broadcasts the company has created a range of support programming to provide motor sport fans with the most comprehensive package of news, background information, analysis and commentary of any network. These programmes have also attracted the support of advertisers:
Alliance has taken up the presenting sponsorship of Checquered Flag and Mobil 1 and Mercedes have renewed their presenting sponsorships of the award-winning* pre-race programme, Raceday, for the third year running. In addition, Sun Microsystems has taken a significant partnership involvement in ESS’ on-line Formula One programming.
‘Such intense and expert programming is a first for Formula One in Asia and has broadened the support for F1 among the world’s biggest populations and converted casual viewers into dedicated fans,’ says ESS Managing Director, Rik Dovey.
The successful partnership between ESS and Formula One has seen viewership grow regionally by nearly 10% in the space of a single year (1999-2000) bringing the total number of viewers to 85 million. This upward trend has continued into 2001.
‘Our advertisers have been very supportive of our expanded coverage of F1,’ says ESS Senior Vice President Advertising and Integrated Sales, Vib Sharma. ‘Both Raceday and Checquered Flag were produced in response to advertiser pressure. Our clients know that not only are they talking to a knowledgeable audience, but one that is affluent and also delivered in ever-increasing numbers.’
*finalist, Asian Television Awards, best sports programme.
For further information, please check the website www.espnstar.com or contact:
Stephanie Green Chen
Tel: +65 488 6134
E-mail: chens@espnstar.com