UK commercial broadcaster Channel 4 has appointed independent sports production company Whisper Films to aid the delivery of its coverage of the Formula One motor racing championship, which commences from the 2016 season.
The deal comes after it was announced last month that Channel 4 would replace public-service broadcaster the BBC as the free-to-air rights-holder of F1 in the UK. Channel 4 has agreed a three-year rights deal, from 2016 to 2018. The broadcaster will show live coverage of 10 races per season as well as highlights of all 21 races.
Channel 4 today (Monday) said the production contract was awarded to Whisper Films after a competitive tender process with production companies with Formula One credentials. The tender process was led by Ed Havard, Channel 4’s head of TV events and sport, and Stephen Lyle – who has been promoted to the new role of head of F1 – to a short timescale in order to meet the start of the season in Melbourne, Australia, on March 20.
Whisper Films was set up in 2010 by former BBC Sport F1 producer Sunil Patel, Scottish former F1 driver David Coulthard and Jake Humphrey, a former BBC F1 presenter who now works for pay-television broadcaster BT Sport. Channel 4 took a minority stake in the production company in 2015 as part of its Indie Growth Fund.
Channel 4 said that as well as demonstrating “significant innovation and creativity” in their approach to producing Formula One coverage, included within Whisper Film’s winning pitch was the signing of a number of key production personnel and presenters with extensive experience in the sport. These include Mark Wilkin, the editor of the BBC’s award-winning F1 coverage, as programme editor.
Coulthard has also been announced as the first signing of the on-screen presenting team, having previously served in this role for the BBC.
Havard said: “Whisper Films outlined an extremely impressive and exciting vision for their F1 coverage, with outstanding on and off screen talent as an integral part of their pitch.”
Patel, executive producer for Whisper Films, said: “Whisper Films has an unrivalled production team with over 20 years’ experience in Formula One and unique contacts throughout the sport. Channel 4 and the sport have talked about a new approach and we believe we are ideally placed to deliver this.”
North One Television, which has a track record in motorsports production, will also work with Channel 4 on a number of accompanying programmes to support its F1 coverage.