MUMBAI: TWI, an event and talent management agency IMG's television arm, will be the host broadcaster for the Clipper 05-06 Round the World Yacht Race.
The event kicks off on 18 September 2005. The announcment was made by marine company Clipper Ventures which organises the race.
Clipper Ventures chairman Sir Robin Knox-Johnston said, "We are delighted to be working with TWI. With vast experience in the broadcasting of major events, TWI represents the television rights and distributes programming for some of the world's most prominent sports and cultural organisations.
"The race will be a truly international sporting event. Teams from Liverpool, Durban, Western Australia, Singapore, Glasgow and the Channel Island of Jersey - defenders of the race title have already signed up. TWI's unparalleled international network, distributing programming to over 200 countries worldwide, makes them a perfect choice as host broadcaster for the event."
Knox-Johnston went on to add that the interest in these rights was unprecedented. " We received tenders from several major broadcast organisations and whilst all of the presentations were impressive, TWI exceeded all the others in its commitment to promote and market the Clipper 05-06 Race allowing us to reach new audiences around the globe."
The television rights agreement will see TWI maintain a comprehensive News Service throughout the duration of the Race. For this purpose, the company will produce regular video news releases in advance and around the ten-month race itself. The key objective of this new partnership is to ensure that stations all around the world will promote the Clipper race through news and existing sport programmes.
The race will also be seen on TWI's popular show Trans World Sport. TWI claims that the show is currently viewed in over 260 million households in 131 countries making it the most widely seen, regularly scheduled sports programme in the world.
Last year TWI was appointed as the host broadcaster of the Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games and of the 15th Asian Games which takes place in Doha in 2006.
