As the final countdown begins to the opening round of the UIM Class 1 World Championship this weekend, Powerboat P1 has unveiled its television broadcast and livestream schedule for the new season. Six teams from three continents are heading to Cocoa Beach on Florida’s Space Coast and this international fleet reflects the momentum that has returned to the premier class of offshore racing.

The decision by new teams to enter Class 1 this year is superb news in respect of Powerboat P1’s aim to grow the class in the United States and at the same time develop plans to globalize the series over the coming years with a strong lineup of international teams and both national and worldwide TV coverage plus live streaming. All eight Class 1 races in the six-venue championship will be broadcast nationally on Bally Sports through its family of regional sports networks. In Cocoa Beach, Sarasota and St. Petersburg, where Powerboat P1 is the race promoter, CBS Sports Network will screen the Class 1 and APBA offshore national championship racing, together with live streaming on the P1 Offshore Facebook page and Powerboat P1 YouTube page. Television coverage will kick off next month with highlights of the action from Thunder On Cocoa Beach and include a Class 1 season review show in December.

“Powerboat P1 is committed to the long-term development of offshore powerboat racing, and quality broadcast television coverage is an essential building block for any successful motorsport,” said Powerboat P1 CEO Azam Rangoonwala. “I believe that TV has a hand in creating the future of the sports it shows. By growing the national and international television audiences and attracting new teams and more fans to offshore racing, P1 can deliver significant value to host venues, race teams, sponsors and partners. We have new relationships in place with full service production company Case Productions and broadcast distribution specialist Blonde Ambitions, whose respective aims will be to showcase our exciting, high speed sport and to secure new broadcast deals in key territories.”

The potential reach of the Class 1 worldwide broadcast deals this season is more than 230 million homes, with coverage on leading sports channels including the UK and Western Europe, Australia, Singapore, Japan, the Philippines, South Africa, Egypt, Thailand, Malaysia, the Middle East and South America. Coverage also extends to established weekly motorsport news shows such as Max Power, Motorsport Mundial and Planet Speed.

“With its international participation and profile, Class 1 resonates globally in terms of broadcast distribution and we are in discussion not only with leading sports networks, but also non-sports channels in selected markets to extend the reach,” said Melissa Payne of Blonde Ambitions.

In October 2020 the UIM assigned to Powerboat P1 the international rights to Class 1 offshore racing in an exclusive ten-year agreement, and P1 has a five-year agreement with the APBA giving it exclusive worldwide rights to film and distribute its offshore events. “How we consume sport has changed more in the last five years than it had in the previous fifty,” Rangoonwala added. “The power of the internet along with technology means there are a number of platforms available to sports fans via various media methods. Yet, good old-fashioned television is still king, for now anyway.”

Photo by Cole McGowan

UIM Class 1 : 2022 Race Calendar
• Cocoa Beach: May 19-22
• Sarasota: July 1-3
• Michigan City: Aug. 4-7
• St. Petersburg: Sept. 2-4
• Clearwater: Sept. 23-25
• Key West: Nov. 6-13 (3 races)

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