Blancpain GT World Challenge Asia adds Chinese streaming platforms to expanded live TV package in 2019 08.03.2019: Blancpain GT World Challenge Asia adds Chinese streaming platforms to expanded live TV package in 2019 - Every race streamed live with Mandarin commentary for first time

Blancpain GT World Challenge Asia adds Chinese streaming platforms to expanded live TV package in 2019




- Every race streamed live with Mandarin commentary for first time


- Fox Asia and Star Sports continue live regional coverage of all 12 races


- SRO’s new Blancpain GT World Challenge platform further increases Asian series’ global coverage
 



All six of this season’s Blancpain GT World Challenge Asia rounds will be shown live across China for the first time as part of an expanded TV and streaming package.



The region’s only continent-wide GT series, which visits five countries in 2019, also comprises one-third of SRO Motorsports Group’s new Blancpain GT World Challenge platform. Each regional sprint category, which features equivalent series in Europe and America, will award its own titles while also allowing manufacturers to contest a global customer racing championship played out over 18 events.



This integration has resulted in a major investment in production standards. SRO TV will work with specialist suppliers in each region to ensure every event lives up to the World Challenge name. What’s more, a new graphics package will be used to ensure a common identity for the Asian, European and American series.



Blancpain GT Series Asia, as it was known in 2017 and ‘18, spearheaded SRO’s first foray into China’s diverse live streaming market. Now, for the first time, all six regional rounds and 18 global events will be broadcast with Mandarin commentary across the country’s biggest live online platforms, which include the likes of YouKu, Panda TV, Huya, SMG and DouYu.



A potential digital audience of millions will be supplemented by as-live online viewers and additional highlights on China’s Travel Channel TV news and sports bulletins.



Indeed, the traditional TV demographic remains a cornerstone of Blancpain GT World Challenge Asia’s broadcast strategy, with Fox Sports continuing to show live action across the continent and in Australia. Star Sports will also broadcast its region’s races while Asia Vision’s live output will be confirmed on a round-by-round basis.



Meanwhile, another significant new commitment sees CBS Sports broadcasting each race as-live across the US and Canada.



Equally, viewers in Europe, Central and South America, Mexico, the Caribbean and Africa can watch Asia’s highlights for the first time via Eurosport, Fox Sports Europe, NOVA Sports, Fox Latin America, and Fox Africa Sports respectively.




In addition, all of this season’s qualifying sessions and races will be available to watch live and then as-live on Blancpain GT World Challenge Asia’s website and Facebook page, SRO’s GT World Youtube and Dailymotion channels, plus Motor Trend On Demand and Motorsport.com.



Benjamin Franassovici, Blancpain GT World Challenge Asia General Manager: “The significant increase in Blancpain GT World Challenge Asia’s TV reach again underlines the championship’s position as the continent’s biggest GT series. It became apparent towards the end of last season that we needed to increase our coverage by exploring new opportunities, and that is exactly what our 2019 TV package achieves.




Our previous forays into China’s live streaming market proved very successful so I’m delighted to see all three series across the global Blancpain GT World Challenge platform embracing the country full-time this year. This dedicated coverage with Mandarin commentary emphasises our commitment to the increasing number of Chinese teams, drivers and partners eager to race across the continent, and also takes the championship into more homes around the world than ever before.”



Sepang in Malaysia stages the opening event of this year’s six-round, 12-race Blancpain GT World Challenge Asia campaign on April 6/7.




- Paul Yao, Benjamin Franassovici - photo SRO