Attendances at HiQ MSA British Touring Car Championship race events rose by 21 per cent to just over 325,000 in 2008, while the ITV network’s television coverage of the series was viewed by close to 12 million people across the UK.
The increase in crowd sizes comes after attendances in 2007 had also shot up by 20 per cent on those in 2006, with figures at BTCC events now similar to many major Premier League football matches. Nowhere better was the surge in popularity demonstrated than at Oulton Park in July when the BTCC attracted its biggest trackside audience – of 35,000 – to the Cheshire circuit this decade.
Meanwhile, figures show that 11,751,646 viewers tuned in to watch the BTCC race action on ITV. (This cumulative number represents those viewers weighted to the programme duration and watching for more than three minutes…i.e. not those who may be 'channel-skipping').
In total, ITV transmitted some 86 hours and seven minutes of BTCC coverage to households throughout Britain. Some 50 of those hours were live broadcasts on Sunday afternoons from each BTCC race day. Additional hour-long highlights on the ITV1, ITV4 and Men & Motors channels made for 52 programmes in total during the season.
BTCC Series Director Alan Gow commented: “The BTCC’s continual rise in popularity is something of which I am immensely proud – particularly given the increasing number of other options on which the public can choose to spend both its leisure time and its disposable income.
“The BTCC remains by far the largest championship in UK motor racing – in fact, one of the biggest in British sport generally – and it is a constant draw for millions right across the country, both trackside and watching on television. For many people, the BTCC really is ‘the great escape’...”
He added: “The 2008 season was undoubtedly a landmark. The championship’s illustrious history was enriched further by its 50th birthday celebrations and dynamic new title sponsor, HiQ, plus it enjoyed increased television coverage from ITV.
“In its first season, HiQ instantly grasped the essence of the BTCC and set about interacting with the fans via a number of great initiatives. With ITV, the BTCC enjoyed a simply staggering TV commitment that is unprecedented in UK motor racing and one which the championship will continue to enjoy through to 2011, at least.”
Source : http://www.btcc.net/html/generalnews_detail.php?id=1208
The increase in crowd sizes comes after attendances in 2007 had also shot up by 20 per cent on those in 2006, with figures at BTCC events now similar to many major Premier League football matches. Nowhere better was the surge in popularity demonstrated than at Oulton Park in July when the BTCC attracted its biggest trackside audience – of 35,000 – to the Cheshire circuit this decade.
Meanwhile, figures show that 11,751,646 viewers tuned in to watch the BTCC race action on ITV. (This cumulative number represents those viewers weighted to the programme duration and watching for more than three minutes…i.e. not those who may be 'channel-skipping').
In total, ITV transmitted some 86 hours and seven minutes of BTCC coverage to households throughout Britain. Some 50 of those hours were live broadcasts on Sunday afternoons from each BTCC race day. Additional hour-long highlights on the ITV1, ITV4 and Men & Motors channels made for 52 programmes in total during the season.
BTCC Series Director Alan Gow commented: “The BTCC’s continual rise in popularity is something of which I am immensely proud – particularly given the increasing number of other options on which the public can choose to spend both its leisure time and its disposable income.
“The BTCC remains by far the largest championship in UK motor racing – in fact, one of the biggest in British sport generally – and it is a constant draw for millions right across the country, both trackside and watching on television. For many people, the BTCC really is ‘the great escape’...”
He added: “The 2008 season was undoubtedly a landmark. The championship’s illustrious history was enriched further by its 50th birthday celebrations and dynamic new title sponsor, HiQ, plus it enjoyed increased television coverage from ITV.
“In its first season, HiQ instantly grasped the essence of the BTCC and set about interacting with the fans via a number of great initiatives. With ITV, the BTCC enjoyed a simply staggering TV commitment that is unprecedented in UK motor racing and one which the championship will continue to enjoy through to 2011, at least.”
Source : http://www.btcc.net/html/generalnews_detail.php?id=1208
