Saudi Arabia will host Extreme E’s inaugural race and MENA viewers will be able to tune in to the live-action which will be aired in English, Arabic and Farsi.
Extreme E, the off-road electric race championship, has confirmed that extreme sports and adventure satellite channel MBC Action will televise all five of the series’ X Prixs across its territories in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.
AlUla, Saudi Arabia will host Extreme E’s inaugural race, and people from 23 Arabic-speaking countries will be able to tune in to the live-action which will be aired in English, Arabic and Farsi. In addition, race highlights, the review and magazine shows will be available on MBC Action, as well as its digital platforms.
MBC Action targets the region’s young adventure enthusiasts, delivering the latest sports news, action-packed movies, dramas, and thrillers.
Speaking about the deal, Ali Russell, Chief Marketing Officer at Extreme E, said: “With our series making its debut in Saudi Arabia in just a matter of weeks, we are delighted to announce our broadcast agreement with MBC Group today. I am confident that Extreme E’s menu of motorsport firsts including a fully electric format, male and female driver pairings and the environmental stories behind the series, will delight MBC’s discerning and wide-spread audience and we can’t wait to bring the action to them in April.”
Ashraf Younis, Director of MBC Action added: “With a few weeks to go until the Desert X Prix takes place in stunning AlUla, our partnership with Extreme E couldn’t have come at a better time. We cannot wait to showcase the events of this off-road racing series in the world’s largest continuous sand desert to audiences across Saudi Arabia and the rest of the MENA region. This series is definitely one to watch.”
Nine teams are confirmed to compete at Extreme E’s opening round at AlUla. The region is a place of incredible landscapes and deep history but has suffered the detrimental effects of climate change resulting in longer hotter summers and increased desertification impacting its already vulnerable biodiversity. Extreme E’s mission to ‘race without a trace’ and minimise local impact, means the event will not be open to spectators, with fans instead invited to follow the action through the live TV broadcast and on social media.
The cars, along with the rest of the championship’s freight, have arrived in Saudi Arabia on Extreme E’s floating centrepiece, the St Helena.
