Grand Prix of Houston to be Broadcast Throughout China
HOUSTON, April 10, 2007 – Last weekend the Champ Car World Series kicked off a historic 2007 season with the inaugural Vegas Grand Prix, and the Series will invade JAGFlo Speedway at Reliant Park for the Grand Prix of Houston on April 20-22. This season will also see America’s top open-wheel racing series become the first U.S. sports organization to contest a regular-season event in China.
Now the Chinese fans can follow every lap of the action at the Grand Prix of Houston and the other races leading up to the inaugural Champ Car Grand Prix of China as the series has reached an agreement for Champ Car World Series races to be carried nationwide throughout China. As a result, the Grand Prix of Houston and the city will be exposed to more than 800 million viewers throughout the world’s most populous country.
“This agreement was an integral part of our strategy surrounding the Zhuhai event and it is very important for Champ Car to be able to showcase our series to the fans before we get in the country,” said Champ Car President Steve Johnson. “The potential reach of this growing network is amazing and we expect that the coverage will go a long way toward priming the fans for our inaugural event there.”
The network is made up of provincial stations throughout the country and has the potential of reaching 800 million viewers. From the first race weekend, the Chinese audience will enjoy Saturday qualifying, Sunday racing live as well as Monday or Tuesday night prime time re-runs of the race. Additionally, a weekly 30-min TV magazine will inform and educate the Chinese viewers on formula car racing including Champ Car, Atlantic and other series from around the world.
“This great TV package was made possible with the works of many essential collaborators that believes in the great potential of Champ Car in China, including Guangdong TV Chief of Sports LU Xiao Feng” said Mr. France Corbeil, CEO & President of Sino Sports & Entertainment Inc., the US company that owns Event and TV rights for China. “From the Las Vegas event, Champ Car will be on our national network each week and our plan is to continue weekly broadcast even after the end of the racing season. Adding to the programs, the Promotional TV Spots campaign will also start in coming weeks and will consist of at least 300 national spots on the full network. Our Communication Director, Mr. Sylvain Ding, will supervise this important project and will work with valued partners such as Mind Share, BrandVision and PPGI.”
The first 15 TV stations to broadcast all programs will cover:
Beijing
Guangdong Province
Shanghai
Chongqin Province
Tianjin Province
Fujian Province
Hubei Province
Shanxi Province
Guangxi Province
Xinjiang Province
Sichuan Province
Shandong Province
Jiangsu Province
Guiyang City
Zhuhai City
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About the Grand Prix of Houston
The 2007 Grand Prix of Houston will take place April 20-22 at Houston’s JAGFlo Speedway at Reliant Park. The event will feature a spectacular combination of racing and activities, highlighted by world-class events from American Le Mans Series and Champ Car. JAGFlo Speedway at Reliant Park will be a temporary 1.7 mile course constructed around Reliant Stadium and the historic Reliant Astrodome. In addition to the high-speed thrills of world-class racing, a wide variety of entertainment and activities is being scheduled for people of all ages to create a spectacular three days of speed and entertainment. Tickets are available online at grandprixofhouston.com or ticketmaster.com, by phone at 713.629.3700, in person at the Reliant Stadium South Box Office, and at all Ticketmaster Ticket Centers including Houston-area locations of Macy’s, Fiesta, and Wherehouse Music. For more information please visit http://www.grandprixofhouston.com.
The Grand Prix of Houston
1111 Bagby, Suite 1950 | Houston, Texas 77002
Phone: 713-659-RACE | info@grandprixofhouston.com
acrossley@grandprixofhouston.com