ITV SPORT AND BTCC IN GROUND-BREAKING MOVE WITH SOCIAL MEDIA GIANT
TOCA – organisers of the BTCC – is delighted to announce today (27 March) that every race of the 2024 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship will be streamed LIVE around the globe via TikTok, thanks to a world-first agreement with its partners at ITV Sport.
This ground-breaking agreement is in addition to the BTCC’s expansive and existing UK television contract with the ITV network, which sees around eight hours of broadcast - live and free - from each event across ITV4 and ITVX, as well as the continued highlights and catch-up offerings across the network.
As the BTCC continues to look to bring the championship to a new audience, an agreement has been finalised to ensure that EVERY race will also be streamed LIVE and IN FULL via the ITV Sport TikTok channel – both in the UK and globally.
It is the first ever sport to be streamed live via TikTok by ITV Sport, and it is also thought that it is the first major sporting organisation to stream its entire competition all season across the giant social media platform.
Following its launch in 2016, TikTok has since become one of the world's most popular online platforms, now reaching more than one billion active monthly users worldwide, with some 45% of those in the 18-34 age group, whilst women make up around 57% of all users - further highlighting ways in which the BTCC will be brought to a new, younger and more diverse demographic.
The announcement is also fantastic news for the BTCC’s loyal global fanbase, as this agreement will see every race in the UK’s premier motorsport championship broadcast live right around the world for the first time in its illustrious 66-year history.
This forward-thinking world-first decision is one of the most significant in the history of the BTCC and the result of a broadcasting strategy review that started in September last year. Details of the full broadcast schedule will be published over the coming weeks.
The 2024 Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship comprises 30 races across 10 race weekends at the UK’s finest circuits, with the season opener taking place at Donington Park on 27/28 April.
Alan Gow, BTCC Chief Executive, said: “This is a truly ground-breaking move for the BTCC. I’m incredibly proud that we will be the first major motorsport championship in the world to have its entire race season streamed live on TikTok. It’s the real ‘cherry on the top’ of our ongoing and vast UK coverage, which is live and free on ITV4 and ITVX.
“Most importantly, this agreement will introduce the BTCC to a massive new and completely different demographic – a younger and more diverse audience – which is exactly what we, and in fact all of motorsport, are looking to achieve. This is very big news for the BTCC, our teams and our partners as we cement the future of the UK’s most prestigious motorsport championship.”
Andrew Hill, Senior Producer at ITV Sport, said: “This is a hugely exciting and innovative development in ITV’s production of the Kwik Fit British Touring Car Championship. Live streaming BTCC races on TikTok, alongside our regular ITV4 and ITVX coverage, will help us to reach a much wider audience and enable a new generation of fans to enjoy the thrills and spills of the number-one championship in British motor racing.”
