Motors TV: ‘Business-as-usual with benefits’
November 25, 2016
By Colin Mann
Motors TV’s Founder, Jean-Luc Roy, has suggested that it will be ‘business-as-usual with benefits’ for the service’s audiences and suppliers following its acquisition by Motorsport Network.
Motors TV has re-affirmed that its current operations will continue unchanged, but that the new ownership would provide significant opportunities for the company’s audiences and business partners alike.
Roy confirmed that Motorsport Network supports the full commitment to linear broadcasting. “Our linear output is the heart of our business and will remain so, all that will change is that we will upscale to HD in early 2017,” he said.
The traditional broadcast network will be complemented by a new OTT service due to be launched in early in 2017.
To signal the upscale of the existing linear operation to HD and the addition of a new OTT platform, the company’s name will change to Motorsport.tv in the first quarter of 2017. The channel will retain its five feeds: UK, France, Rest of Europe, North America and Latin America, while commencing work on expansion plans to include new markets in Europe and the Americas.
The new operation is planning to commission new original programming, to add new formats and expand content to include performance automotive as well as motorsport. This, together with an enhancement of live broadcasting by adding additional racing series, is based on a consistent philosophy of retaining the best of Motors TV but significantly enhancing the operation in reach, content and quality.
“The great news is that we will continue the sixteen-year tradition of linear broadcasting into the future, but the benefit of new ownership is that we have investment to scale our operation to full HD and also offer existing – as well as new audiences – the opportunity to view our content in both traditional and on-demand ways – the best of both worlds,” advised Roy.
“In summary, our message is simple. We are looking forward to continuing to work with our many partners and serving our audiences as previously. In this sense, nothing has changed. But our future is very exciting given the enhancements we plan for our existing service,” he added.