This weekend saw the finale of the 2015 Clarkson, Hammond and May Live Tour take place at the O2 Arena in London. Yokohama was there to cheer TV’s most famous presenting trio on as they and a host of stunt drivers performed a series of spectacular displays in Yokohama-shod cars.
The Clarkson, Hammond & May Live tour will feature Yokohama as its Official Tyre Supplier. A renegotiated deal was struck to allow the motoring presenter trio to fulfil its live commitments despite Jeremy Clarkson’s infamous removal from the flagship BBC show. The result of the renegotiation was the removal of Top Gear branding and pre-existing material filmed alongside the presenters’ work on the TV show. The Japanese tyre manufacturer told Tyrepress that it has agreed to maintain its tyre supply deal for the three remaining weekends, with Yokohama branding and promotional materials to appear in and around the arenas in Belfast, Sheffield and London.
Top Gear Live is dead; long live Clarkson, Hammond and May Live! The deal struck this week following Jeremy Clarkson’s ignominious departure from Top Gear to salvage the extensive 2015 Top Gear Live schedule has underlined the ending of Clarkson’s association with the brand and the BBC. While a decision on the fate of the programme – and presenters Richard Hammond and James May – remains in discussions, the deal guarantees ticket holders to see most of the show for which they bought tickets. But are the show’s principle corporate supporters happy with the new arrangement?
Now that Jeremy Clarkson must be considered an ex-Top Gear presenter, the future of the planned Top Gear Live arena tour also been called into question. Four shows due to take place in Norway were postponed with replacement dates yet to be announced while the BBC’s investigation into Clarkson’s behaviour was completed. Having reported its findings that Clarkson made “an unprovoked physical and verbal attack” on his producer on 25 March, it appears the shows, and the rest of the ambitious Top Gear Live arena tour, remain in jeopardy – a potential marketing headache for the UK tour’s title sponsor Gocompare, and tyre supplier, Yokohama.
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