By Jonathan Easton

Off-road racing series Extreme E, which had its inaugural race earlier this month, has been picked up for broadcast in Japan by J SPORTS.

The deal will see the broadcaster televise the championship on its linear channels, J SPORTS 1, J SPORTS 2, J SPORTS 3 and J SPORTS 4, while events will be available for repeat viewing on digital platform J SPORTS On Demand. All five races will be aired with Japanese subtitles.

Chief Marketing Officer at Extreme E Ali Russell said: “Our broadcast agreement with J Sports allows Extreme E to reach a huge Japanese audience with our sport for purpose series. J Sports is well-known for its exceptional coverage of major sport including our sister championship, Formula E – and I am confident that last weekend’s incredible Extreme E season opener from Saudi Arabia delighted its discerning audiences in Japan as well as everyone else who saw it from around the world.

Vice President and Director at J SPORTS, Yoshinori Konno said: “We are celebrating the amazing debut of this innovative electric SUV racing series. It is our great pleasure that J SPORTS is partnering with Extreme E and will deliver all the races during its inaugural season. As the leading sport-dedicated broadcaster in Japan, we also feel esteemed about supporting this promising project with the mission of enlightening public awareness of issues including climate change as well as gender equality.”