Barum Czech Rally Zlín 

O2 TV Sport will offer all stages of the Barum rally live!

13. 8. 2024 - Roman Ordelt

This year, it will be literally a groundbreaking milestone for TV viewers of Barum Czech Rally Zlín in the Czech Republic. The sports station O2 TV Sport will offer rally fans the complete program of the Zlín rally by broadcasting all 15 stages live. Viewers can expect a record fifteen hours of dramatic spectacle starring the top drivers of the European Rally Championship (ERC). A similar scale of coverage from the prestigious motor rally discipline with Czech commentary has never been achieved before.

Since the last season, the European championship has been under a new promoter, WRC Promoter GmbH, based in Munich, Germany. The promoter of the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) also secures the rights for the ERC, which was an important development for the championship in the world of rallying. Once again this year, fans can enjoy live coverage of every stage, including service zone inputs, via the Rally TV platform. In the Czech Republic, the exclusive broadcaster of the best rally sport on television is the sports channel O2 TV Sport. "This year is the first time we are broadcasting live coverage of the European Rally Championship. We have been broadcasting the WRC for eight years and this year we have decided to extend our rally coverage to the European Championship. This means we will also be broadcasting coverage of the Barum Rally for the first time, covering all the stages. This makes a total of fifteen live broadcasts," said Marek Kindernay, Executive Director of O2 TV Sport.

Despite the great competition in the Chance League, the highest football competition in the Czech Republic, a spectator will not be deprived of any important moment of this year's 53rd season. "Everything will be airing on the main channel of O2 TV Sport. We have so-called multidimensioning, so in case of a channel clash, for example, with the Chance League football, the viewer can choose which broadcast to watch or open multiple windows. We will also use this functionality during the Barum Rally. It is one of the most important motoring events on the Czech territory. Also, since we are broadcasting ERC for the first time, we want to give the domestic competition the appropriate space on our sports channel," Kindernay explained.

O2 TV Sport is also sending its own TV crew to Zlín to prepare reports and live inputs for the broadcast. However, the actual broadcasts are produced by the WRC promoter. Tens of other people will then take care of the broadcast in the studio. The broadcasts will be commentated by Tomáš Zetek and Petr Horák, who will invite experts to join them, such as former or current drivers who have taken part in Barum rally. The commercial sports station has expanded its motoring offer even further. "A few weeks ago we also started broadcasting the World Rallycross Championship, so our viewers have the maximum possible offer from rally sport. We have the rights until 2025 with an option to prolong by one more year. And given that we have been working with the WRC promoter for the past eight years, I believe we will continue to do so," Kindernay revealed.

This year's cooperation between O2 TV Sport and the organisers of the Barum Czech Rally Zlín may not stay only with this year's event. "We are happy to have associated our name with this most famous race in our country. We have been very good with the organisers and I am glad that we have managed to make this project a reality. I believe that this is the beginning of a longer-term cooperation," concluded Marek Kindernay. In addition to the live streaming of the WRC, ERC and Word RX championships, O2 TV Sport also offers a regular motorsport magazine titled Týden v motorsportu (Motorsport Week), hosted by Markéta Srbová.

More information available at www.czechrally.com and don't forget to follow the Barum rally on the official Facebook, Instagram, and X accounts as well as the other press information.

Zlín, 13th August 2024

Roman ORDELT
Press Office
Barum Czech Rally Zlín