FIA Formula E has announced a brand new free-to-air television deal for the United Kingdom with Season 11 just one week away.
The all-electric championship has signed a deal with ITV to broadcast all 16 races of the season live on its ITVX streaming service, with nine races to be shown live on ITV4.
ITV will also show an all-new “bespoke” highlights show in a “regular time-slot”.
The announcement will delight many FE fans in Britain who will see the series return to free-to-air television for the first time since Season 9.
For Season 10, the move was made to bring FE to behind a paywall via TNT Sports, which left some fans unable to consistently view the championship. The dedicated sports broadcaster will continue to show the series alongside ITV.
FE has also announced that its new lead presenter will be Nicki Shields, who has been part of the broadcast coverage since the series’ inception in 2014.
She will be joined alongside regulars including Karun Chandhok, David Coulthard and Billy Monger.
Extreme E star Catie Munnings will also continue to be part of the roster, alongside former FE driver and newly-crowned WEC champion Andre Lotterer, as well as former FE team principals Allan McNish and James Rossiter. Tom Brooks will continue in the commentary booth.
In a joint-statement, ITV’s Chief Media Officer, Aarti Dabas, said: “We’re delighted to offer UK and Ireland fans even greater access to our incredible championship via our two fantastic media partners – TNT Sport and now ITV – giving them more ways to watch and taking them even closer to the sport.
“With our new post-race weekend highlights show on ITV, fans will be able to get bespoke content directly from the paddock helping educate, excite and entertain new and loyal fans alike. We can’t wait to bring our fans more track-side action and continue to grow the sport.”
Speaking of Shields’ promotion to lead anchor, FE’s CEO Jeff Dodds said:
“Nicki Shields has been a cornerstone of our broadcast team and a passionate advocate for what Formula E represents.
“Her promotion is testament to her own exceptional talent and dedication, as well as her ability to connect with fans.
“It also underscores Formula E’s commitment to breaking down barriers and creating meaningful opportunities for women in motorsport – evidenced by hosting the first-ever all-women’s test session for an FIA Championship in Madrid earlier this month. We’re thrilled to have Nicki lead our storytelling as we embark on another exciting season.”
