The deal means that the spectacular aerial contest is now seen in more than 625 million households worldwide, and comes just a year after Red Bull Air Race GmbH announced a three-year partnership naming IMG Media as its exclusive worldwide sales agents.
Since 2006, IMG Media has negotiated on behalf of Red Bull in numerous territories, with some of the most-watched TV stations, including RTL in Germany, Channel 4 in the UK, Fox Sports Networks in USA, and Fox Sports in Latin America as well as AXN in Asia.
Currently half-way through the 2007 Red Bull Air Race World Series, this weekend will see the London leg of the competition, the first time the event has ever been staged in the capital.
IMG Media Vice President Olaf Jochmann said: “This spectacular event has enormous worldwide appeal, with each race attracting crowds of up to 1.2 million people and over 70 television stations showing the action globally. The Red Bull Air Race World Series has really captured the public’s imagination, and by signing CCTV-5 we are proud to extend the sport’s coverage into a further 200 million more homes.”
CCTV-5 is the only national sports channel covering all of China, and will show all 11 episodes of the race series.
