STAN Sport has televised its last Shannons SpeedSeries round for the foreseeable future.
While a new deal is yet to be formally signed off, V8 Sleuth understands there will definitely be a change to the SpeedSeries’ broadcast partner for 2024.
That comes after two seasons on Stan, the Australian Racing Group having trumpeted a surprise agreement with the Nine Network-aligned subscription streamer in February 2022.
While believed to be attached to a lucrative windfall as Stan sought to become a major player in the motorsport sphere (also picking international categories such as IndyCar), the arrangement was often frowned upon by competitors and fans.
That’s because most Australian motorsport fans had already hitched their wagon to Fox Sports/Kayo – where Supercars, Formula 1 and other sports are shown – and it was considered a challenge to attract enough eyeballs to satisfy sponsors.
V8 Sleuth reported in September that Motorsport Australia would be reclaiming the SpeedSeries’ television rights from ARG, with various options to be investigated.
There’s set to be a larger free-to-air component next year, whether that is with SBS or the Seven Network. Both have televised TCR in the past.
There was limited free-to-air coverage during the Stan era; after minimal in 2022, it was upped to a three-hour Saturday afternoon slot for each three-day event.
A return to Fox/Kayo is also a possibility next season.
Motorsport Australia is expected to officially announce a new broadcast deal in the coming weeks.
The 2023 SpeedSeries concluded with the weekend’s Supercheap Auto Bathurst International, where champions were crowned in TCR Australia, National Trans Am, V8 Touring Cars, Porsche Sprint Challenge and Australian Production Cars.
Shannons will stay on as naming rights partner of the SpeedSeries through 2025.
