FORD AND EUROSPORT TO LAUNCH FIRST EVER LIVE 24 HOUR ADVERT FOR LE MANS

The innovative Live Ad will celebrate the 50th anniversary of Ford’s historic 1-2-3 finish at Le Mans.  At the 1966 race, its legendary Ford GT40 finished on the top three positions on the podium and marked Ford’s first Le Mans victory.

The Ford Live Ad will be produced by Eurosport to run on Eurosport websites and mobile apps – the most visited online sports platform in Europe, during the 24 hour endurance race. Fans will see a live feed of an on-board camera from one of the four of the Ford GT supercars competing in the LMGTE Pro category race. Once visitors click through, they’ll be able to follow the on-board cameras on all four cars on a dedicated Ford Live Hub.

The footage will allow motorsport fans to fully immerse themselves in the race, taking on the renowned Circuit de la Sarthe through the eyes of Ford Chip Ganassi Racing’s drivers.

Ford Performance said: “We’re really excited to be able to work with Eurosport on such an innovative project. Creating a live stream is nothing new, but creating a feed which will show 24 hours of live-streamed content direct from the cockpit of four hypercars as they hit 180mph around Le Mans is no mean feat. Equally impressive is the fact that this will air not only in multiple European countries but also through into a first of its kind live-media format. Executing this on the homepage of Europe's biggest sport broadcaster is allowing Ford to really bring to life the Le Mans spirit. It is great to be able to celebrate Ford’s return to Le Mans by offering European followers of the race access to the Ford team, the Ford GT, and the race action in this way, helping make Le Mans 2016 an event to remember.”

Viviane Paxinos, Vice-President, Advertiser Partnerships, Eurosport & Discovery Networks International, said: “We’re proud to be partnering with Ford to help celebrate their momentous 1-2-3 finish at Le Mans 50 years ago.  The launch of the first ever live 24 hour advert is another example of how Eurosport work with brands in an innovative way, underlining how the great must-have sports content Eurosport hold can drive compelling campaigns and be a game-changer for brands looking to engage sports fans.”

The pioneering campaign was developed in partnership between Ford, Eurosport and Mindshare, the global media agency.

 This year Ford is running two Ford Chip Ganassi Racing Ford GTs in the FIA World Endurance Championship and two in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.  The Ford GT is the company’s showcase for aerodynamics and lightweight carbon fiber construction, along with the new twin-turbocharged Ford EcoBoost® V6  – the most powerful EcoBoost production engine ever.

Eurosport has been a long standing rights holder of Le Mans 24 Hours, fuelling the passion of motorsport fans through unrivalled live coverage, behind-the-scenes footage and start interviews. On average, over the past five years, Eurosport's coverage has reached 16.5 million fans in Europe.

Fans will be able to enjoy full race coverage on Eurosport and the Eurosport Player across Europe and selected markets in Asia-Pacific.

ENDS.

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