Aurora And North One Reveal Innovative Plans For Extreme E

Extreme E is partnering with All3Media sports production companies Aurora Media and North One, in a multi-season deal to cover the sport for TV.

Extreme E uses electric SUVs to race in five remote race locations, including desert, arctic, rain forest, glacier and coastal sites. The locations have been chosen to raise awareness of different aspects of climate change, with a significant part of the broadcast focusing on how the landscapes have been damaged by environmental issues.

Aurora and North One currently work together on electric car racing format Formula E, which was also founded by Extreme E creator, Spanish businessman and former politician, Alejandro Agag.

The plan is to bring a similar ‘hybrid storytelling’ approach to Extreme E, combining sport and scientific stories, highlighting the planet’s plight, using sports as its lens.

The production will make use of remote technology to minimise the production team’s on-site footprint. All shows will be mastered in London, in real-time, direct from each of Extreme E’s global locations.

Season 1 output includes 30+ hours of live race coverage, as well as highlights, and a 20-part supporting TV series. On top of this, 300 short films will be made for digital and social platforms, charting the behind-the-scenes, sporting and climate change narrative of the championship.

The live racing will be captured through a mix of track, on-board and live drone cameras and a suite of data-driven AR and VR graphics.

Broadcasters signed up to take the live show so far include the BBC (UK), Discovery (Europe and North America) and FOX Sports (United States, Canada and the Caribbean).

Ali Russell, chief marketing officer at Extreme E, said: “As Extreme E is taking place in remote locations, with no fans on-site, our broadcast content is the primary window to our sport and is crucial to our success.

“Aurora Media Worldwide and North One are trusted leaders in broadcasting and I know they will bring our unique motorsport adventure and our incredible locations to life in a way that inspires our fans in ways never seen before in motorsport.

“Our mission is to take our audiences on a journey that inspires each and every one of us to more closely consider the effect of our actions on the future of our planet, so our broadcast content will play a critical role in that goal.”

Lawrence Duffy, managing director, Aurora Media, added: “Extreme E is the most adventurous and challenging of sports properties, and one which uses sport as a power for good. It is a great privilege and responsibility to shine a light on these locations and bring this uniquely entertaining series to screen.”

North One CEO Neil Duncanson, said: “Extreme E will take us all to a whole new level – in terms of the extreme locations we will visit, the cutting-edge production technology we will deploy and the array of content platforms we will serve. It is a hugely exciting proposition.”