Volvo Ocean Race organisers have said 94 broadcasters are committed to the 2014-15 edition of the sailing event, with further deals expected before it commences on October 11.
The Volvo Ocean Race has contracted Sunset+Vine International to bring new fans to the regatta, with the television production and distribution company having served in a similar capacity for its 2005-06 and 2008-09 editions.
The 12th staging of the Ocean Race has offered broadcasters a line-up of a new 39-part weekly half-hour show plus special short bespoke features. The nine-month event will also capture the leg arrivals, departures and in-port races live for digital platforms.
Broadcasters will also take advantage of live links with the fleet giving them the opportunity to interview the sailors as they are competing in the 38,739-mile marathon. There will also be regular, freely available video news releases throughout the event.
“We would like to reach new audiences beyond our core sailing aficionados by showing the true human challenge of sailing around the world in all conditions – as well as capturing how the sailors’ families cope with a race which is like an addiction for its participants and its followers,” Volvo Ocean Race news and media director Jon Bramley said.
“We decided to appoint François Gandolfi as the director of our flagship weekly show – Life at the Extreme. He has no experience of sailing or sports programming, but knows all about filming human stories in hit documentaries and series.”
The first edition of the Life at the Extreme series will be distributed to broadcasters on October 9, just before the seven-strong fleet departs the race’s home port of Alicante for the first leg to Cape Town two days later. The race concludes in Gothenburg, Sweden on June 27, 2015.