Sky Germany to broadcast electric off-road racing series Extreme E
Extreme E’s first X Prix will take place 3-4 April 2021 in the deserts of Saudi Arabia
Electric off-road racing series Extreme E has confirmed that Sky Germany will broadcast coverage of the championship’s X Prixs, highlights and magazine shows.
Sky Germany’s coverage of the tournament is to be broadcast in Germany, Austria and Switzerland and will be available to view in both German and English.
Charly Classen, executive vice president of sport at Sky Deutschland, commented: “Extreme E is a spectacular new racing series and a great addition to our motorsports lineup on Sky Sports F1. Extreme E also strengthens our already rich on-demand motorsport offering. With our sustainability initiatives Sky Zero and Sky Ocean Rescue, the race series fits very well into our programme.”
Ali Russell, chief marketing officer at Extreme E, added: “Germany is a key market for us and I’m delighted Sky Germany has joined our 40-strong list of broadcasters.
“Not only is Sky Germany home to top quality sports, it also has a strong environmental focus with Sky’s international sustainability programmes Sky Zero and Sky Ocean Rescue highlighting its carbon neutral and plastic reduction ambitions. We are delighted the channel will air our exciting racing concept, but also our wider storytelling around electrification and the environment.”
Extreme E will visit five remote locations that each highlight a different environmental issue including desertification, rising sea levels, glacier retreat, deforestation and ice melt. The series hopes to raise awareness of the climate emergency by mixing sport with purpose.
The series first X Prix will take place on 3-4 April 2021 in the deserts of Saudi Arabia. Ten teams are signed up to compete in season 1, and the championship stipulates that each team must field both a male and female driver, in a bid for gender equality and a level playing field.
The 20 drivers, which include the likes of Jenson Button, Carlos Sainz, Sébastien Loeb and Jamie Chadwick, will race an all-electric SUV, the Odyssey 21, which is capable of firing the 1650KG, 2.3m-wide e-SUV from zero to 62mph in 4.5 seconds, at gradients of up to 130%.
These cars, and the rest of the championship’s freight will sail to each location on the St. Helena as sea travel is less carbon-intensive than air freight.