Courtesy the Canadian Rally ChampionshipCALGARY, AB, June 8, 2006 - A 5-year deal between fast-growing ATV Productions Ltd. and the Canadian Association of Rallysport (CARS) will put automobile rallying back on Canadian television and new marketing muscle behind one of Canada’s most colourful motorsports.
The agreement will offer 26 half-hour segments on the Canadian Rally Championship to top-tier broadcasters in more than a dozen major markets across the country via the Chum Limited television system.
The arrangement gives ATV the marketing rights for the national rally championship as well as the responsibility for filming each of the six events in the series. The package gives each event two half-hour programs and concludes the coverage with a season wrap-up. The 13-episode package is repeated once for a total of 26 broadcasts. The deal was signed here May 26, 2006, at the Rocky Mountain Rally.
ATV has been quick to capitalize on the popularity of the sport by signing two sponsors for the series. Subaru Canada, a name long associated with rallying, returns as a presenting sponsor of the televised package while Yokohama Tire (Canada) Inc. joins as a sponsor.
“This is the kind of really positive development that will help us keep up the momentum the Canadian Rally Championship has built over the past decade,” says CARS president Paul Westwick. “TV helps us to market the sport, and marketing helps us deliver quality TV. ATV is the right partner at the right time, and we’re pleased they share our positive view of the future.”
ATV president and CEO, John Lovelace added, “ATV is excited about partnering with the Canadian Rally Championship. Now we can deliver to viewers what they want to see: interesting character development and motorsport action set to the backdrop of raw Canadian back roads. It doesn’t get any better then that. We certainly see the day when the CRC series will be a staple of weekend afternoon viewing in Canada!”
The ATV productions of the rally events will take a new approach, says Westwick, with the episodes concentrating on the fascinating people who seem to defy the laws of physics as they hurl exotic competition cars over impossible roads in some of the most scenic spots in Canada. For the 2006 season, the productions will be hosted by Andrew Comrie-Picard and Jen Horsey – two competitors who guide viewers through the intricacies of the sport and through the remarkable lives of the competitors. Chum stations such as A-Channel and City TV will schedule the broadcasts in time slots appropriate to their markets. Negotiations are under way to bring the broadcasts to audiences in Québec.
For 50 years, the Canadian Rally Championship has been a staple of the Canadian motorsport scene. One of the longest-running national motorsport series in the country, the championship is managed by CARS and consists of rally events from the shores of the Atlantic in the Gaspé region of Québec to the depths of the forests of B.C. CARS is affiliated with ASN Canada FIA.
ATV has established a reputation for quality automotive programming on TV. The popular Driver’s Seat TV, now in its 12th year, has earned faithful audiences across Canada and the U.S. with thoughtful automobile reviews and features. Engine Driven is a collection of four-minute shorts covering high performance products. The show is seen on Canadian Learning Television and Access Alberta and has been released for international distribution this summer. The ATV automotive portfolio includes a new series, Moto World, and the annual Targa Newfoundland rally.
ATV is a Vancouver-based full service HD television and film production company offering multi-camera productions for broadcast throughout Canada and the U.S. For 2006, 124 television episodes in seven series and 10 specials are in production for 86 broadcasters around the world. A film production company, Best Entertainment Corp., has five full length features in development. In addition to its Vancouver office, ATV has production offices in Virginia in the U.S. and in Manchester in the U.K.
