Abu Dhabi Media Company wins Formula One rights

01 March 2010 | Posted in Broadcast, Motorsport | By Adam Fraser

Abu Dhabi Media Company has secured exclusive broadcast rights to the next three seasons of Formula One action in the Middle East and North Africa.

ADMC has secured the rights from the Abu Dhabi Government, which held them as part of the agreement that sees a Formula One race staged in Abu Dhabi, reports ADMC-owned newspaper The National. Government officials said they bought the MENA broadcasting rights at the same time as securing the race.

The 19 races will be screened in both English and Arabic. The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, held at the Yas Marina circuit and sponsored by Etihad, will be the final race of the season, and will be held on November 14. The season also starts in the region, with the Bahrain Grand Prix held later this month.

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"Abu Dhabi is aiming to be the international capital of sport so the media has to follow this growth," said Mohammed Najeeb, the head of Abu Dhabi Al Riyadiya Channels, the sports broadcasting department at ADMC, to The National. "Formula One is a very important sport. A lot of people love to watch it and after building Yas Marina Circuit, definitely we have to follow the growth of this sport."

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