From Autosport:-

The British Touring Car Championship has renewed its UK television deal with British broadcaster ITV, but fewer rounds will be broadcast live on ITV's main channel this year.

Last season the final race from each of the ten BTCC meetings was broadcast live on ITV1, but in 2007 the first five events will be shown live on one of ITV's digital channels instead, with highlights subsequently shown on the terrestrial station.

However, live ITV1 coverage will return for the second half of the season, with live broadcasts from the final five meetings.

In addition, satellite/cable channel Setanta Sports will screen live coverage of all BTCC meetings, including the support races, and highlights packages will appear on satellite channel Men and Motors.

Series boss Alan Gow believes that with digital and satellite television now being adopted by an increasing percentage of UK households, the lack of early season live coverage on ITV1 will have little impact.

"We now have a total of four different TV channels that will be broadcasting the BTCC throughout the UK and thus it gives the championship a unique and excellent spread of terrestrial, Freeview and subscription broadcast platforms - a factor that is important with the increasing use of digital channels by the public," said Gow.

"Nearly 80% of UK households now have either Freeview or cable/satellite and ITV's prime digital channels regularly see audiences of over a million viewers for UEFA Champions League, UEFA Cup and live boxing.

"Proudly, this continues to be the biggest/best broadcast arrangement for any British (four-wheel) motor sport and we thank ITV for their continued enthusiasm and commitment for the championship."

Sweet, glad i didnt cancel that subscription then

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Steve Pearce - COME ON JIMMIE #48 D

i'm interested to find out what for the highlights packages come in??

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motorstv

ummm not sure

I don't see any mention of Motors TV in the list of channels covering BTCC. I don't want Setanta Sport - I wouldn't subscribe for just one thing anyway, racing highlights on Granada "Men and Motors" will be useless (i don't think highlights ever work for motorsport) and ITV seem to have a pretty half hearted approach by not putting the series live on their main flagship channel. This means that those people without digital who Mr Gow is so happy to disregard as unimportant will just have to wait til the second half of the season to see some live BTCC.
Also, if I am right and Motors have lost the BTCC then surely that means the end of seeing some of the other championships that make up the BTCC weekend on a channel that comes as part of a sky package....thus depriving them of much needed air time and coverage to a wider audience- and depriving us of entertainment.
I'm sorry, but I don't see any of this as good news at all - I think its disgraceful. If you want BTCC live then you MUST pay for Sky and if you want the support races you MUST pay extra for Setanta Sport for an extra £10.99 a month. That is dictating how people can enjoy their own national series, bit by bit, more of it goes into channels that you just need to pay that little bit more for.
A decision like this shows that Gow is not thinking about the viewing public at all - if he was he would put the series on either terrestrial (if possible) or on the satelite channel that was accessible to the most people for the least cost to them. He has not done that....

yep, thats the basic jist of it and is what we've been talking about since the moment we realised Motors TV didnt have the coverage. Luckily, lots of us, being NASCAR fans have setanta sports already and therefore are rather overjoyed by this latest development.

WRT setanta, do you have people in your household (husbands etc) who watch golf, football, rugby, gaelic sports or us sports, cuz it may actually now be worth the 14.99 to sign up. As of September, Setanta have 46 premiership games live for next season, which isnt a great deal less than Sky Sports who i think have about 65. And as far as im aware neither group have control over which games they get so there should be a good selection of matchs (suspect Sunday afternoons will have one game on setanta and one on sky, rather than them both on sky as they are now!).

Best of it is, there is no word of a price rise, at least not at the moment. Though with Setanta, noone can be sure really!

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Steve Pearce - COME ON JIMMIE #48 D

Sadly I'm having to tighten the purse strings at the moment (dropped the Sky sub down to the lowest possible while still keeping Motors!) so no Setanta for me.

sky losing some football that is good news, the might have time to show fia gt live now (they were rumored to be interested)

as for btcc, motors dumped it for LMS by peugeot.

I'm hoping the M&M highlights are more full race re-runs a few days later, as i'd be watching lms on sunday anyway.

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motorstv

ummm not sure

Same here bout lms, for that matter i'll be watching loads of stuff, good news never the less

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With regards to the football on Setanta next season the games that they will be showing will be broadcast at 5.15pm on Saturday Evenings and 8pm on Monday Night and they claim that 40% of the games will involve the 'Big Four'.

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Come On You Stones - Maidstone United FC
DTM @ Brands Hatch - 31st August 2008

"but in 2007 the first five events will be shown live on one of ITV's digital channels instead"

I take that means "but in 2007 the LAST RACE OF THE first five events will be shown live on one of ITV's digital channels instead"

It will be butchered by adverts and and most of the action from the first two races will be on the cutting room floor to give the commentators more time to ask the drivers what their favourite colours are

Lets just hope it dosnt get as bad as when we got a live Speed feed of champ cars and they went to a recorded interview with a drivers wife during the live race!

i remain pesamistic considering itvs WRC coverage.

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itv's cross promotial interviews can massively annoying.

dear itv, it's motorsport show the action.

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motorstv

ummm not sure

I suppose its good news that BTCC will still be available t those willing to pay for it. I am sad to see that Motors do not seem to have a lot lined up to fill the gap in the schedules. Alan Gow has clearly taken a business decision to move his series to Setanta, but now Motoors need to move on getting something else on the quite empty schedules.

Alan had his hand forced rather by Motors TV saying they didn't want to show the BTCC any more.

TBH this just makes my season ticket for oulton park an even bigger bargain. £99 for the whole year of live racing cant be bad.

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that is a good deal, are there any restrictions on big events?? and why don't i live closer to oulton?

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motorstv

ummm not sure