British GT Championship secures free-to-air TV deal for 2017
The bulk of the 2017 British GT Championship will be broadcast live and on free-to-air TV in the UK

British GT's six domestic dates, including the supporting Mini Challenge, will be shown live on the Front Runner channel.
Only the European round at Spa in July is missing from the deal that marks the first time in British GT's 25-year history that it will have widespread and regular live TV coverage.
Hayfisher will manage and produce the live broadcasts for Front Runner, which is available in 19 million homes across the country via Freeview, FreeSat, Talk Talk, YouView, BT and Sky.
The station was launched last October and is the UK's only free-to-air sports channel.
"This is fantastic news for British GT and the Mini Challenge, their drivers and teams, who together with Front Runner now have a platform capable of reaching millions of new and existing fans," British GT manager Benjamin Franassovici said.
"It's really exciting to be bucking the trend of modern motor racing, and sport in general, by offering live free-to-air coverage throughout our 25th anniversary season.
"Now anybody unable to attend our races needn't miss out on the action.
"We have received more than 30 paid entries across both GT3 and GT4, and interest in both classes remains high."
Front Runner MD Ryan Scarratt said the deal with British GT and the Mini Challenge represented the start of a new push for the channel's coverage into motorsport.
The channel is available on Freeview channel 91, FreeSat 250, YouView/TalkTalk/BT 91 and Sky 468.
"We're delighted to be broadcasting live British GT and Mini Challenge coverage," Scarratt said.
"Offering more live sports is certainly an area of focus for us this year; we screened the 24H Series Dubai live in January and British GT starts in April.
"There are exciting times ahead for sports fans across the UK."

GP3 race winner Ellinas to race in Carrera Cup GB with Tandy's team
Hyundai i20 R5 to make British Rally Championship debut

Latest news
The historic rallying battle royale revived 40 years on
Ford Escorts have dominated historic rallying for years but finally, in the shape of a Fiat 131, they face some tough opposition from an old foe
Kirkistown stars storm up Autosport National Driver Rankings
Regular Kirkistown winners were on the rise again last weekend with Steven Larkham, David McCullough and Peter Baxter now on the brink of the Autosport National Driver Rankings top 10.
National novelties: Panhard Junior and Zakspeed Capri
From a Panhard 1950s sportscar to a special evocation of a Group 5 Capri, here are just a few of the interesting cars in action at last weekend's Oulton Park Gold Cup event
Granfors grabs GB3 points lead as TOCA supports thrill at Knockhill
Joel Granfors moved to the top of the GB3 Championship standings at Silverstone last weekend, as an off-track decision for title rival Luke Browning had huge ramifications. While in Scotland, there were the usual thrills and spills from the TOCA supports at Knockhill
How Lotus emerged as a period Goodwood force
Colin Chapman’s marque was the most successful across Goodwood’s 71 contemporary era Members’ Meetings, from 1949 to 1966. Many of the future Formula 1 pacesetter's finest creations will be in action during this weekend's 2022 event, attempting to re-live an era when period Lotus was gaining unstoppable momentum
How to get the best out of amateur racers
Pro-Am GT racing is booming. But how should drivers approach working with an amateur? Autosport sought out a panel of experts to explain the pitfalls amateur drivers should avoid and how professionals can help them to achieve their goals
How Radical revamped its record-breaking flagship model
Just over a year ago, Autosport sampled Radical’s newest offering: the SR10. Now upgraded, it’s clear to see why it’s become the manufacturer’s fastest-selling model
The second-generation Can-Am racers that took the UK by storm
When Thundersports was introduced in 1983, few could have predicted that it would bring an army of heavy metal from the United States to British circuits. The awe-inspiring former Can-Am racers became a new domestic flagship category that captivated spectators and drivers alike
The father and son team taking GT racing by storm
GT Cup title winners Richard and Sam Neary emerged as a race-winning force in British GT in 2021. The father-and-son pairing have done it the hard way with their family team – and 19-year-old Sam is only just getting started on a career he hopes will lead to factory opportunities in the near future
Track testing an outgoing stalwart of British motorsport
The current GB3 Championship car is due to be replaced next season. Autosport got behind the wheel to discover why it's been a popular machine for drivers making their way up the junior single-seater ladder
Inside the lightweight Czech sportscar making its mark on the UK
Ahead of Praga running its own standalone series in partnership with Britcar, Autosport got behind the wheel of the Czech company’s R1 at Donington – and was left very impressed
How rocket O'Sullivan banished painful memories with GB3 glory
After missing out on the 2020 British F4 title in astonishing fashion, Zak O'Sullivan was determined to earn his first car racing title stepping up to the BRDC British F3 championship. While the series underwent a mid-year name change to GB3, the Carlin driver was imperious throughout and deservedly claimed the title in his rookie year