OCTOBER 19, 2004

A1 selling hard in Monaco

Sportel, the international sports television convention, took place last week in Monaco with broadcasters from all over the world meeting with sports marketing companies to do deals for the future. This year there were more than 725 participating groups including the A1 Grand Prix series which is busy trying to sell itself to broadcasters. According to the A1 Grand Prix organizers the convention resulted in several major television rights deals and significant interest from others. The series is scheduled to begin in the autumn of 2005 and is billing itself as The World Cup of motor racing.

The Sportel convention is the big event of the sports television year although there will be a second such event early next year in Hong Kong at which A1 will no doubt he busy as well.

"SportelMonaco was a great success for A1 as it provided a fantastic opportunity for us to showcase our series to the majority of the world's broadcasters," said Richard Dorfman, the man in charge of selling A1 TV rights. "The reception we received from them was extremely positive, with some deals signed and many others now in negotiation."