400 THUNDER CHAMPIONSHIP DRAG RACING SERIES ANNOUNCES NEW NATIONAL & INTERNATIONAL TELEVISION DEAL
16 March 2021
The 400 THUNDER CHAMPIONSHIP DRAG RACING SERIES
ANNOUNCES NEW NATIONAL & INTERNATIONAL TELEVISION DEAL
In A Major development for Drag Racing in Australia, 400 Thunder is proud to announce a new television deal in Australia that will provide coverage on Fox Sports and Kayo Sports, for the 400 Thunder Championship Drag Racing events across Australia, and internationally
on beIN Sports USA, MAV TV USA and REV TV Canada.
The new deal will see 400 Thunder Championship Drag Racing broadcast in a 2.5 hour, delayed live prime time scheduling on FOX SPORTS and on beIN Sports USA, on the night following the event.
The international presentation will also be available in 70 million homes across the USA through a number of syndication partnerships.
Kayo will stream all 400 Thunder Championship Drag Racing events, starting with live coverage of the Super Thunder on April 2-3. Motorsport fans will be able to enjoy 8-10 hours of drag racing each day from Willowbank Raceway, covering the main qualifying and racing sessions for the Professional & Sportsman Categories.
The delayed live broadcast on Fox Sports Australia and beIN Sports USA and REV TV Canada will feature a brand-new 2.5 hour show that will tell the story of the sport of drag racing, the people, the families and businesses behind it.
Further to this, one hour 400 Thunder post produced programs of each professional category will be available to air from each event on Fox Sports as well as the international platforms including MAV TV in the US and REV TV in Canada.
This is a major breakthrough for the sport and will create commercial opportunities for the Professional & Sportsman Drag Racing competitors and the series.
Fox Sports is Australia’s leading producer of sports television coverage and is home to Australia’s favourite subscription TV sports channels, as well as Australia’s number one general sports website, foxsports.com.au.
The Fox Sports group delivers over 10,000 hours of live sports programming per year into 2.5 million homes around Australia. Unrivalled talent offers sports fans more insights and analysis through live broadcast as well as comprehensive entertainment programmes every night of the week.
Fox, as Australia's sports leader, is famous for unrivalled live sports coverage in High Definition and game-changing broadcast innovations – taking fans closer than ever to the sports they love”
FOX SPORTS Director of Acquisitions and Sport Partnerships, Rebecca McCloy:
“We are incredibly pleased to bring the 400 Thunder Series to audiences in Australia on Foxtel and Kayo.
Being the home of motorsport and the only place to watch every session and race of Supercars, Formula 1 and MotoGP, we look forward to also bringing the 400 Thunder Series to motorsport fans.
400 Thunder Chairman Tony Wedlock:
“This is a momentous announcement for the 400 Thunder Championship Drag Racing Series, its thousands of race fans, its competitors, and their existing & potential new sponsors. Having professional television broadcast agreements in place with our partners
Foxsports and Kayo in Australia and beIN Sports USA, MAV TV USA and REV TV in Canada,
is truly a milestone for the ongoing development of the Sport”
400 Thunder have also contracted Internationally renowned, Melbourne based TV content company, Inverleigh, that will bring new innovations and production quality to the coverage of 400 Thunder Championship Drag Racing in Australia and are responsible for the increased international exposure of the competition.
Inverleigh are leaders in premium sports content creation and distribution, serving high value content solutions to over 490 broadcasters globall .
Brendon Oliver Commercial Director, Inverleigh:
“We are extremely proud to be appointed the production and distribution partner to The 400 Thunder Drag Racing Series, a world-class Motorsport Championship. Our strategy of partnering with premium sporting organisations like 400 Thunder, delivers high quality broadcast content to a local and global broadcast and syndication market, providing growth in exposure and revenue back to our sporting partners.
Securing broadcast partners such as Fox Sports and BeIN USA only adds to the commercial value of the sport. The secured broadcast distribution into the USA and Canada where competitive drag racing has an massive following, delivers long term commercial opportunities for both competitors and the series. Our secured broadcast deals will raise the profile of the sport, the drivers, and the Championship.
As an Australian based company, taking Australian domestic sports to the international market is a key focus for us especially those that have commercial appeal in the United States”
400 Thunder General Manager, Steve Bettes;
“400 Thunder Championship Drag Racing is contested in many States of Australia at our premier drag racing facilities and our new agreements with Foxtel and Kayo here in Australia and beIN Sports & Mav TV in the USA and REV TV in Canada will now take 400 Thunder to an International audience in millions of homes across the world, creating major commercial opportunities for the series and the race teams. This is huge win/win partnership for all stakeholders”
Coming Events
April 2/3 – Apex Epoxy Flooring Super Thunder – at Willowbank Raceway, Ipswich, Queensland
for further information and tickets go to www.willowbankraceway.com.au
May 6/7/8 – Gulf Western Oil Nitro Thunder at Sydney Dragway, Eastern Creek, New South Wales
for further information and tickets go to www.sydneydragway.com.au
June 10-13 – The Gulf Western Oil Winternationals at Willowbank Raceway, Ipswich, Queensland
for further information and tickets go to www.willowbankraceway.com.au
For further information on this release please contact Steve Bettes at manager@400thunder.com.au