9 million watch 2012 Circuit of Ireland rally
9 million watch 2012 Circuit of Ireland rally
A global audience of almost nine million viewers tuned in to watch the spectacular footage of the 2012 Donnelly Group Circuit of Ireland Rally.
Coverage of the world famous Easter weekend rally, which this year competed as round 3 of the Intercontinental Rally Challenge (IRC), attracted an incredible global audience of 8.9 million viewers, accordingly to audience statistics published by the independent sports research consultancy IFM Sports Group (January – June 2012).
The hugely successful event beamed picture perfect ground based and helicopter images of Northern Ireland, including Titanic Quarter, Belfast, Lisburn and Armagh, to a global audience resulting in the Rally becoming one the most viewed rounds of the Intercontinental Rally Challenge (IRC).
Circuit of Ireland Rally Director Bobby Willis is ecstatic with the level of interest in the 2012 event, saying: “Since taking over the Rally in 2010, our main aim has been to bring the Rally to the people and widen its appeal across Ireland. The 2012 event certainly realised this dream – not only across Ireland, but also, around the world!
“A family orientated Ceremonial Start in the grounds of Belfast City Hall and a Super Special Stage in Titanic Quarter on Good Friday, saw new and die hard Rally fans alike, many of whom travelled from Europe and further afield, just to catch a glimpse of the Rally superstars competing in the heart of Belfast.
“The event attracted thousands of spectators but to think a further 8.9 million people across the world tuned in to watch the Circuit is incredible! According to the statistics provided by IFM Sports Group, the Rally was widely viewed across Europe and Asia, with viewers in Australia, Mexico and Russia also tuning in to see our beautiful landscapes come to life.
“Our picturesque Easter countryside was not only a talking point for spectators but also for our competitors who were amazed to have been given the opportunity to compete against such stunning backdrops.”
The cross-county nature of the Rally, along with cutting-edge HD camerawork from Eurosport, allowed several locations in Northern Ireland, including Belfast, Lisburn and Armagh, to take centre stage in front of a global audience.
Willis continued: “The worldwide exposure this event provided for Northern Ireland has far outweighed my expectations and closer to home, the exposure certainly didn’t disappoint. Official figures from Ulster Television (UTV), revealed 324,000 individual viewers watched the Circuit on television, with RPM Motorsport breaking all records on their motoring programme, which has been a local favourite for the past two decades.
“Electronic media has also proved itself as a huge vehicle for extending the reach of the Rally. The app produced by iRally, the world’s largest rally specific publication, covered all stages of the 2012 IRC and was accessed over 1 million times during the Circuit of Ireland period.
“To deliver these super results, with such a small team of volunteers, is truly staggering.”
Eurosport’s Commercial Director Francois Ribeiro was also delighted the Circuit, serving as the only British or Irish round of the IRC, proved such a popular event.
“The 2012 IRC featured a number of events in breath-taking locations including San Marino, Sicily, and Gran Canaria and I am delighted that the thrilling action from the Northern Ireland countryside, and indeed Belfast’s Titanic Quarter, attracted such a significant audience for Eurosport.”
Reflecting on the recent decision to merge the IRC Series with the European Rally Championship for 2013, Mr Willis said:
“This was a decision made by FIA and Eurosport Events to strengthen the ERC as future World Rally Championship (WRC) events are likely to be less-Euro centric.
“Eurosport will be the new promoter and broadcaster of the FIA European Rally Championship from 2013, for the next 10 years. At this stage the Circuit of Ireland has been included in the provisional calendar of events.
“However, the Rally is an expensive event to run and without continued sponsorship and financial support, which we have been extremely lucky to secure the last few years, the 2013 event, and inclusion in the European Rally Championship, is yet to be confirmed. We are hopeful that a decision on funding can be made in the very near future.”