Extreme E to Premiere across Africa on ESPN

Johannesburg, 26 August 2020: Extreme E, the pioneering electric off-road motor racing series, is set to be broadcast live across the African continent following an agreement with The Walt Disney Company. The series will premiere on ESPN (Dstv 218, GOtv 38) and ESPN2 (Dstv 219) in 2021.

Extreme E’s five-race global odyssey from the Arctic to the Amazon Rainforest, will air live to more than 50 African countries including Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Senegal, Tanzania and Uganda. As well as the live race action, a variety of highlights programmes will also be broadcast.

The championship’s goal is to highlight the impact that climate change and human influences are having on the severely damaged locations in which it will race, whilst raising awareness, driving sustainability and inspiring action through world-class motorsport.

Ali Russell, Chief Marketing Officer at Extreme E, said: “We aim to make our championship accessible to as wide an audience as possible around the globe, and this deal opens the door to tens of millions of viewers across Africa – especially key as the continent will play host to one of our races in Senegal.

“Extreme E is a top-tier sporting product unlike anything else out there at the moment, and we want to share the series’ goal of driving awareness of climate change worldwide, whilst promoting battery electric vehicles and workable, sustainable solutions.”

Frank Rutten, ESPN Europe & Africa added: “Extreme E is a challenging racing expedition that aims to bring people, locations and companies together in a positive way, creating an electrifying, highly entertaining experience for viewers. We’re excited to be adding this unique and relevant sporting series to our existing portfolio to our viewers across Africa.”

The agreement with ESPN Africa is the latest broadcast deal to be announced by Extreme E, with the championship also set to partner with BBC (UK), Discovery (Europe and North America), FOX Sports (United States, Canada and the Caribbean), FOX Sports Asia (Southeast Asia), FOX Sports Australia, Mediaset (Italy), Sony India (Indian subcontinent), TVNZ (New Zealand), RTM (Malaysia), Dubai Sports (Middle East), RDS (Canada), China Sports Zhibo.tv (China), RTL 7 (The Netherlands), ORF (Austria) and BTRC (Belarus).

Further sporting, broadcast and partnership announcements will follow in the coming weeks as Extreme E builds towards its 2021 start-date.

For broadcast details, go to http://africa.espn.com or follow @ESPNAfrica on social media for frequent updates on the latest adrenaline-fueled, pulse-racing action from this and other premier sporting leagues.

To learn more about Extreme E, visit – www.Extreme-E.com

ENDS

For media queries, kindly contact:

Jenny Griesel

Jenny Griesel Communications

Tel +27 83 406 3444 / jenny@jennygriesel.co.za

NOTES TO EDITORS

About Extreme E:

Extreme E is a radical new racing series, which will see electric SUVs competing in extreme environments around the world which have already been damaged or affected by climate and environmental issues. The five-race global voyage highlights the impact of climate change and human interference in some of the world’s most remote locations and promotes the adoption of electric vehicles to help preserve the environment and protect the planet.

Another unique feature of Extreme E is its floating garage, the RMS St. Helena. The former Royal Mail cargo-passenger vessel is undergoing a modernisation and refit to lower its emissions. It will be used to transport the championship’s freight and infrastructure, including vehicles, to the nearest port, minimising Extreme E’s footprint as well as being used to facilitate scientific research through an on-board laboratory.

Extreme E is operated in association with Formula E – the organiser of the ABB FIA Formula E Championship. Extreme E is committed to sustainability and minimising environmental impact – as well as playing its part in rebuilding and restoring areas already impacted by climate change.

About ESPN:

ESPN, Inc., is the world’s leading multinational, multimedia sports entertainment enterprise featuring a portfolio of more than 50 multimedia sports assets. It has eight U.S. television networks and 26 International Networks, ESPN Audio (broadcast, satellite, digital, podcasts), the leading portfolio of digital sports services in the world, ESPN The Magazine, consumer products, ESPN Events and more. ESPN is 80 percent owned by ABC, Inc., which is an indirect subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company. Hearst holds a 20 percent interest in ESPN.

About Continental Tyres: Founding Partner and Official Tyre Partner

Continental develops pioneering technologies and services for sustainable and connected mobility of people and their goods. Founded in 1871, the technology company offers safe, efficient, intelligent, and affordable solutions for vehicles, machines, traffic and transportation. In 2019, Continental generated sales of €44.5 billion and currently employs more than 230,000 people in 59 countries and markets.

The Tyres business area has 24 production and development locations worldwide. Continental is one of the leading tyre manufacturers with more than 56,000 employees and posted sales of €11.7 billion in 2019 in this business area. Continental ranks among the technology leaders in tyre production and offers a broad product range for passenger cars, commercial and special-purpose vehicles as well as two-wheelers. Through continuous investment in research and development, Continental makes a major contribution to safe, cost-effective and ecologically efficient mobility. The portfolio of the Tyres business area includes services for the tyre trade and fleet applications, as well as digital management systems for tyres.

About CBMM: Founding Supplier

CBMM is the world-leading supplier of niobium products and technology. Headquartered in Brazil, with offices and subsidiaries in China, Netherlands, Singapore, Switzerland and the United States, CBMM offers technical innovation to customers around the globe through a team of over 2,000 highly trained, dedicated professionals providing cutting-edge niobium products and technology to over 300 customers in 50 countries.

About LuisaViaRoma:

Established in 1929, LuisaViaRoma has been an online luxury destination since 1999. In 2019, LuisaViaRoma celebrated the company’s 90th anniversary, as well as the 20th anniversary of its online business.

Founding Partner and Official Tyre Partner:

Founding Supplier:

Official Fashion Partner: