IMSA expands international audience
For IMSA’s domestic audiences, It’s easy to think of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship as a North American series. And while its competitions may be limited to the U.S. and Canada, its influence and audience extends far beyond, with a reach of 584 million homes in 148 countries. Since 2017, Greenlight International has been IMSA’s partner in expanding its worldwide reach, and that partnership has now been extended through the 2024 season.
With 18 different manufacturers participating in IMSA competition from the U.S., Europe and Asia, plus a squad of drivers from all around the world, the series has long attracted international audiences. That worldwide interest has increased this season with the introduction of the hybrid GTP class.
“It’s a great pleasure to work with the broadcast team at IMSA to continue to build the international distribution of the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship,” said Jon Quayle, Greenlight International managing director. “Greenlight International have increased the number of broadcasters taking the live signal by 23 percent in 2023. The truly international roster of drivers competing across the classes of the championship means the interest from broadcasters is always high and the close racing makes it very appealing to audiences.”
In addition to offering live race telecasts for international audiences, Greenlight’s two weekly motorsport programs, Motorsport Mundial and Max Power, regularly include IMSA content. One-hour race highlight recaps also supplement live race broadcasts offered by linear broadcast providers in some countries.
In addition to television coverage, international audiences also have the ability to stream IMSA races live via IMSA.tv and IMSA Radio. Thus far in 2023, IMSA.tv international streaming has seen a 33 percent increase year-over-year, with IMSA Radio global connections up eight percent.
The “Win The Weekend” docuseries — available on IMSA’s YouTube channel and developed in partnership with Michelin — also is resonating with international fans, particularly in countries with participating drivers or manufacturers in the series.
“As a result of the process of moving towards sustainable racing, IMSA has put the most sophisticated sports cars in the world on the most iconic tracks across the United States and Canada,” said IMSA President John Doonan. “While the international audiences might not be able to have all-access to the cars and drivers like those physically attending the races, they have demonstrated a strong desire for the on-track product. It’s truly special to be able to deliver world-class racing, with such a significant global audience reach, to such passionate fans.”
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