Extreme E to air on DAZN in Japan

|Photographer: Jordi Rierola|Event: Preseason Testing|Circuit: MotorLand Aragon|Location: Alcaniz|Series: Extreme E|Country: Spain|Season: 2020|Keyword: 2020|Team: Chip Ganassi Racing|Team: Andretti United Extreme E|Car: Spark ODYSSEY 21|Car: Spark ODYSSEY 21|Driver: Sara Price|Driver: Kyle LeDuc|Driver: Timmy Hansen|Driver: Catie Munnings|
© Jordi Rierola

Extreme E, the new electric off-road racing series, has confirmed sports channel DAZN as its Japanese broadcaster. The series will join an exciting roster of motorsport entertainment already available on the channel, including Formula One.

Extreme E has already attracted some of the biggest names in motorsport including Formula One World Champions Lewis Hamilton, Nico Rosberg and Jenson Button, all of whom have founded teams X44, Rosberg X Racing and JBXE respectively. Button will also make up the male half of his driver pairing, alongside recently announced teammate Mikaela Åhlin-Kottulinsky. The gender equal driver pairing is a stipulation of the championship in a bid to encourage gender equality and a level playing field – a world-first in motorsport. 

Alongside those names, the championship has attracted world class drivers including Carlos Sainz Snr, Sébastien Loeb, Jamie Chadwick, Mattias Ekström, Catie Munnings and Johan Kristoffersson, plus many more motorsport greats behind the scenes.

And all this exciting racing entertainment, from racing action to Extreme E’s magazine shows highlighting the environmental endeavours of the championship, will air on DAZN.

Ali Russell, Chief Marketing Officer at Extreme E said: “I’m delighted to be bringing Extreme E to Japan through this partnership with DAZN, a premium OTT platform that supports us in developing a youth orientated audience. It is also the home of Formula One in Japan, so will allow us to target a huge Japanese motorsport audience with our innovative sport for purpose.

“As a sport without spectators on site it is really important for us to reach as many people as possible and the best way to do this is through the screen. We look forward to sharing our exciting wheel-to-wheel racing, but also the wider messages of the championship around electrification, environment and equality.”

Martyn Jones, DAZN Japan Executive Vice President said: "We are delighted to be delivering the inaugural event of the new Extreme E race series. DAZN has been committed to providing a rich content experience for motorsports fans in Japan since its launch. We believe that this event, which will feature many famous racers, will be an enjoyable content for all F1™ fans.

“What makes it even more special is that fans will only be able to watch through their screens as the competition is held without spectators in consideration to environmental issues, and DAZN is a perfect platform for the cause. Moreover, DAZN, which is also committed to promoting diversity, equity and inclusion, supports the mission of gender equality.”

The much-anticipated first season of Extreme E will not only be a must-see event for motorsports fans, but also marks a new era of racing that will bring environmental issues to the forefront.

Following the inaugural race in Saudi Arabia (3-4 April), the series will visit Senegal (29-30 May), Greenland (28-29 August), Brazil (23-24 October) and Patagonia (11-12 December).  By holding races in areas that are suffering at the hands of the environmental crisis, such as tropical rainforests and the Arctic, the aim is to raise viewers' awareness and interest in environmental issues.

The series also has a unique viewing format, as races will be held without spectators and broadcasted as two-hour programs, in a bid to reduce the championship’s carbon footprint. In addition, the championship will transport equipment for the race by sea on its floating centrepiece, St. Helena, and this behind the scenes content focussing on environmental issues will also be available on DAZN.