Television coverage of the 2010 TT starts tonight on ITV4
Television coverage of the 2010 Isle of Man TT gets underway tonight, with the first of ITV4’s hour-long daily highlights programmes.
There will be nightly shows at 9pm until Friday, June 11, when the show will go out at 10pm. There will also be a two hour review show on Sunday June 13.
This year, for the first time, all of the ITV4 programmes will be available on ITV Player and geo locked simulcast on itv.com. The action will also be replayed on giant screens on Douglas as part of the TT ‘FanZone’ activity.
Features will include interviews, insight and behind-the-scenes footage with all of the leading TT riders including John McGuinness, Guy Martin, Cameron Donald, Ian Hutchinson, Michael Dunlop and local racer Conor Cummins.
Reaction from MotoGP stars Jorge Lorenzo, Loris Capirossi and Angel Nieto will also be shown as they visit the Island for the first time and participate in parade laps.
Interviews with celebrities such as Ross Noble, The Prodigy’s Keith Flint, Danny John Jules – Cat in popular TV series ‘Red Dwarf’ – and Razorlight’s Johnny Burrell, who will all be in the Isle of Man this year, are also planned.
The coverage will be centred around the five solo and two sidecar races for conventional bikes, however there will also be a close look at the TT Zero electric bike class as these innovative machines take up the Mountain course challenge.
The programmes will be presented by leading ITV sports anchor Craig Doyle with commentary from racing legends Steve Parrish and Jamie Whitham, both of whom have raced the TT course. Local rider and TT winner Richard ‘Milky’ Quayle will also provide expert analysis.
The ITV coverage was negotiated by North One TV, who hold the licence for the exclusive sales and distribution rights for the TT races, on behalf of the Isle of Man Government.
Their high-end production will include the return of the hi-motion ‘Super Slomo’ camera that provided such stunning shots in 2009. This year will also see the introduction of high definition on board cameras that have never been used before in any motorsport event in the UK.
There will also be more course cameras and this year a new ‘pole cam’ that will be used at the start/finish line and pit lane.
North One Television CEO Neil Duncanson said:
“Even though ITV will be heavily featuring the football World Cup we have been able to secure a major commitment from them to carry the 2010 TT races. We’re sure that both bike and non bike fans are going to really enjoy some of the new production developments this year from one of the sports highlights of the year.”
Isle of Man Tourism political member Geoff Corkish added:
“The ITV4 programmes are a great way for people who are not on the Island to watch this stunning event as well as a good opportunity for fans who are here, and residents, to see the action again. It is also a great way for us to showcase the Isle of Man and the TT races and we hope that it will encourage people to come and visit the island, either for the races or to experience other aspects of the Isle of Man.”