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SPEED and the ACO (Automobile Club de l’Ouest) have reached agreement on multi-year deal that includes expanded digital rights and keeps the celebrated 24 Hours of Le Mans with the North American television home it has had since 1996.

“The 24 Hours of Le Mans certainly is one of the crown jewels of motor sport,” said SPEED President Scott Ackerson. “Together with our coverage of the Daytona 24, this deal cements SPEED as the continued home for the world’s premiere sports car endurance racing.”

When SPEED rolled out its first-ever programming lineup on New Year’s Eve 1995, live coverage from Le Mans certainly was one of the highlights, and on June 16 of this year, the 17-year relationship continues with SPEED’s live coverage of the 80^th running of the world’s oldest sports car endurance race.

“Le Mans has taken on the aura of one of a select group of sporting events that belongs to the entire world,” said former racer and SPEED analyst David Hobbs, who competed 20 times in the event. “It belongs with such events as Wimbledon and the Indy 500.”

In its book, The 10 Best of Everything – An Ultimate Guide for Travelers, National Geographic named the 24 Hours of Le Mans the “No. 1 Sporting Event.” To see the complete list, please visit: http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/top-10/sporting-events/

In addition to the new SPEED television deal, 20^th Century FOX is developing a project based on A.J. Baime’s best-selling book Go Like Hell: Ford, Ferrari and Their Battle for Speed and Glory at Le Mans. Baime is expected to be a guest during the June race broadcast on SPEED.

About SPEED™ 

SPEED, anchored by its popular and wide-ranging coverage of NASCAR, is the nation’s first and only cable television network dedicated to automotive and motorcycle racing, performance and lifestyle. Now available in nearly 84 million homes in North America, SPEED, a member of the FOX Sports Media Group, is among the industry leaders in interactive TV, video on demand, mobile initiatives and broadband services, including SPEED2, a groundbreaking new broadband network featuring live, streaming and on-demand events complementing offerings of the linear network. For more information, please visit SPEED.com, the online motor sports authority.

About FOX Sports Media Group

FOX Sports Media Group (FSMG) is the umbrella entity representing News Corporation’s wide array of multi-platform US-based sports assets under Chairman & CEO David Hill.  Built with brands that are capable of reaching more than 100 million viewers in a single weekend, FSMG includes ownership and interests in linear television networks, digital and mobile programming, broadband platforms, multiple web sites, joint-venture businesses and several licensing partnerships.  FSMG includes FOX Sports, the sports television arm of the FOX Broadcasting Company; Fox’s 19 regional sports networks, their affiliated regional web sites and FSN national programming; SPEED and SPEED2; Fox Soccer Channel and Fox Soccer Plus; FUEL TV; and Fox College Sports.  In addition, FSMG also includes FOX Sports Interactive Media, which comprises FOXSports.com on MSN,whatifsports.com and scout.com, reaching almost 39 million unique visitors monthly.  Also included are Fox’s interests in joint-venture businesses FOX Deportes, Big Ten Network and STATS, LLC, as well as licensing agreements that establish the FOX Sports Radio Network and FOX Sports Skybox restaurants. In Oct., FSMG acquired the exclusive U.S. media rights to FIFA World Cup football across all platforms (including radio) from 2015 to 2022, which includes the 2018 FIFA World Cup and 2022 FIFA World Cup, the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup and 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup and other FIFA events.

Source: SPEED, Press Release