BTCC attracting growing TV audience

Good news for the title sponsor and other supporters – official figures show the number of viewers tuning into watch the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship – the BTCC to its friends – has grown an average of 43 per cent this year. The British Audience Research Board gained this statistic from an analysis of viewer activity during the first seven rounds of the current season versus the first seven rounds of 2010; this latest figure shows a growing interest in the ITV coverage – after the first three rounds the year-on-year increase was only 36 per cent.

ITV Sport’s commitment to the BTCC includes around seven hours of live race day coverage from all ten of the championship’s events, supported by 90-minute highlights that are shown at least three times during the week following a race meeting. “This is yet more wonderful news for both the BTCC and motor sport enthusiasts watching on mainstream ‘free-to-air’ television in the UK,” commented Niall Sloane, controller of Sport for ITV. “The championship provides dramatic, exciting racing and the latest viewing figures demonstrate how people are coming to this vibrant sport in increasing numbers. The BTCC is an important part of ITV’s sports content and we very much look forward to bringing our viewers coverage of all the action as the 2011 title race reaches its conclusion.”

“For any programme to attract a continual rise in viewing figures, in an age when TV has become increasingly diversified, is impressive enough,” added BTCC series director Alan Gow. “But to attract a rise of these proportions is astonishing and speaks volumes for both the championship’s appeal and ITV Sport’s ability to deliver top-class sporting entertainment directly into people’s living rooms. Everyone involved in the BTCC – our teams, drivers, sponsors, partners, officials and the fans – should be immensely proud of what we are achieving.”