FOX Sports signs international multi-media deal with Formula E Championship

FOX Sports has signed a multi-year, international multi-media deal with the FIA Formula E Championship, the world’s first fully-electric car racing series, to begin September 2014.

Formula E is a new Championship initiative from motorsport’s governing body the FIA featuring open-wheel cars powered exclusively by electricity and racing in the heart of 10 of the world’s leading cities. Designed to promote interest and investment in electric vehicles and sustainable motoring, 10 teams each with two drivers will compete in one hour races using single-seater race cars capable of reaching speeds of more than 220kph with zero emissions.

With full US exclusivity across the FOX family of networks, FOX Sports also has exclusive and non-exclusive rights in more than 80 territories including Japan, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Taiwan, South Korea, Australia and other areas of Asia, India and Africa. The deal, across all territories, includes exclusive and non-exclusive on-line and mobile transmission rights.

“We are very proud to announce this major agreement between FOX and the FIA Formula E Championship and to be partnering a truly global organisation that fully believes in the future of racing,” said Alejandro Agag, CEO of Championship promoter Formula E Holdings. “This global broadcasting deal will bring our Championship to nearly 90 countries and a potential 180 million households worldwide, giving our partners, our teams, and our team’s partners a platform to visualise the association to the values of this competition. We are particularly happy to join FOX at the time when FOX Sports 1 is being launched. America is a key market for electric cars and to show our races live in the US will be central to promoting this type of mobility.”

Six of the 10 teams have now been signed for the inaugural season, three of which have already been announced with Andretti Autosport, China Racing and British-based Drayson Racing.