From a press release issued by FGSport Group:

FGSPORT INCREASES WORLD SUPERBIKE CHAMPIONSHIP COVERAGE IN ASIA AND AUSTRALIA

FGSPORT has recently signed new and important TV agreements with networks that have never broadcast Superbike World Championship coverage before.

A two-year contract has been signed with Brave Heart International, which will now provide live coverage of the Superbike series to millions of viewers across the whole Asian region – including China, Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand.

In India, another important deal has been finalised with Doordarshan TV, guaranteeing the local audience live and free-to-air Superbike coverage for the next three years, until 2007.

In Asia the coverage of World Superbike has also been considerably strengthened by the renewal of a deal with ESPN Star Sport for 2005. The Pan-Asian satellite network will again cover the Championship, broadcasting an extensive schedule of highlights, as was the case in 2004.

In Australia, Fox Sports has provided excellent live coverage of the Championship for many years, and this partnership will continue in 2005. The Australian TV involvement in World Superbike has now been enhanced by the Ten Network. This terrestrial provider will broadcast all the highlights from the 2005 and 2006 series.

Finally, in Japan, a recently signed contract with the satellite and cable network J Sky Sports guarantees continuous coverage of the Championship until 2006.

Paolo Flammini, Chief Executive of FGSPORT – the organising company and rights holder of the Championship – commented: “The forthcoming 2005 World Superbike Championship looks like it will be one of the best in its entire history. We are confident that the strong increase of worldwide TV coverage will give a very beneficial boost to the whole Championship.”

The first round of World Superbike will take place in Qatar, Doha on Saturday February 26th 2005. From that day on, an increased global audience will be able to enjoy this most spectacular racing spectacle.