ITV extends BTCC broadcast deal through the 2029 season
TOCA has agreed a three-year extension of its BTCC broadcast rights with ITV, keeping the championship free-to-air in the UK through at least the end of the 2029 season. Live coverage continues on ITV4 and ITVX, with qualifying on YouTube and highlights across ITV platforms.
The organisers of the British Touring Car Championship confirmed the multi-year deal that begins in 2027 and runs through the 2029 campaign "at least," according to reporting from Broadcast and Sportcal. For UK fans, that means another stretch of live touring-car racing without a paywall.
Key Takeaways
- ITV's three-year BTCC extension keeps free-to-air coverage through at least the 2029 season.
- Each of the 10 race days will feature seven hours of live coverage on ITV4 and ITVX.
- Saturday qualifying stays live on the ITV YouTube channel for UK and global viewers.
- The partnership, which began in 2002, will reach 27 consecutive years under the new contract.
- BTCC chief executive Alan Gow stressed the series will remain freely accessible, not behind a paywall.
What does the new ITV BTCC deal include?
Under the renewed agreement, ITV will show seven hours of live coverage from each of the 10 race days per season on ITV4 and ITVX. Every Saturday qualifying session will continue to stream live on the ITV YouTube channel.
Extensive highlights will remain on ITV4, ITVX and, when schedules permit, ITV1. Main race-day and highlights programming will also be available on demand via ITVX.
The package includes 10 seven-hour live broadcasts, 10 90-minute BTCC highlights programmes, and 34 60-minute support-race highlights on ITV4, covering series such as the F4 British Championship, Porsche Carrera Cup GB and the MINI Challenge. Full race-day coverage will continue worldwide on the BTCC YouTube channel, excluding the UK and North America.
Motoring Research notes that the championship will boast more than 400 hours of coverage per season across the ITV network and the BTCC's YouTube channel.
Why does free-to-air coverage matter for BTCC fans?
BTCC chief executive Alan Gow said the new contract underlines a commitment to keep the championship "as freely accessible to as many people as possible… rather than for it to be hidden behind a paywall." He added that the BTCC is the only UK motorsport with live, free-to-air coverage of an entire championship on mainstream linear television.
Motoring Research reported the deal against a backdrop of Comcast, Sky's owner, announcing a takeover of ITV's UK broadcasting arm. The agreement, that outlet said, means the series should remain on ITV for the foreseeable future without disappearing behind a Sky subscription barrier.
Sportcal noted the extension is also positive for BTCC's top-tier sponsors, including title sponsor Kwik Fit, tyre partner Goodyear and lubricants partner LiquiMoly. More motorsport and media updates sit in our Fintech & Crypto Alerts hub.
How long has ITV covered the British Touring Car Championship?
ITV has aired the BTCC since 2002. This latest extension takes the partnership to 27 successive years. Niall Sloane, ITV director of sport, said the deal continues a long-standing commitment to broadcast the championship free-to-air for the UK audience across ITV, ITVX and YouTube.
Gow said he was "extremely pleased and proud" to finalise the contract, continuing the broadcast partnership for the BTCC and its support championships into a 27th year. Racing resumes after the summer break at Thruxton, according to Motoring Research.