News

Infront Sports & Media has reached a three-year agreement (2013-2014-2015, with an option for the following three years) with the Mediaset Group for the exclusive broadcasting of the eni FIM Superbike World Championship in Italy. The world championship rounds will be broadcast free-to-air on the Italia 1 channel starting from 2013.

The agreement reached with Mediaset, Italy's largest private media and communications company, will give the leading production-based bike racing championship massive visibility in Italy, and will further contribute to its development, at the same time offering a prestigious shop window for the numerous manufacturers, teams, riders, sponsors and partners - both Italian and International - who are present in Superbike.

"I am extremely satisfied with the agreement reached", declared the CEO of Infront Motor Sports, Paolo Flammini. "The decision by Mediaset to join us is evidence of the high level reached by our championship. We are sure that this partnership will help to bring about a further crucial growth for the eni Superbike World Championship. We would also like to take this opportunity to thank the Italian TV broadcaster La7 for the excellent work it has carried out over the last few years, which has without a doubt helped to increase the coverage and the growth of the championship in Italy".

Stephan Herth, Infront Sports & Media Executive Director Summer Sports, said: "The agreement with Mediaset, as a major network in Italy, reflects the significant growth in relevance and strength that World Superbike has achieved in recent years. In Italy, it is among the most popular sports competitions and attracts high public interest - even more as 7 out of the 24 riders fly the Italian flag. The extensive live broadcast and in-depth coverage provided by Mediaset will be of strong benefit for the enthusiastic motorcycle fans as well as all commercial brands involved".

Giorgio Giovetti, Head of Sports Rights Purchasing for Mediaset, added: "We have decided to switch our target to a very competitive and spectacular championship, with bikes that enhance the battles between great riders and render the outcome of each race uncertain right until the very end. Superbike is a sporting contest whose value will be enhanced considerably thanks to the visibility guaranteed by Italia 1 and by the technical and journalistic commentary of Mediaset's sports editorial team".

The eni FIM Superbike World Championship features a high number of riders, teams and manufacturers (Aprilia, BMW, Ducati, Honda, Kawasaki and Suzuki), racing with high-performance bikes that are similar to those available on the market for normal everyday road use. The championship's well-tried formula of two races at each round, Pirelli's one-make tyre supply, as well as stable technical regulations over the years, have helped World Superbike become a truly exciting spectacle for millions of TV spectators and fans around the world.

Media coverage of the eni FIM Superbike World Championship is firmly established worldwide and is helping to align the strength of the series across the scale. Overall, under Infront's tenure, live coverage has increased steadily since 2007 and the number of broadcast partners has grown by 40 per cent. In 2011, the series reached a cumulative audience of 460 million viewers with 3,300 broadcast hours worldwide.