W Series secures free-to-air TV deal on Channel 4

W Series has secured a free-to-air broadcast deal with Channel 4 for its inaugural season in 2019.

The international single-seater championship exclusively for female drivers will kick off on May 4 at Hockenheim, with all six races for its debut season set to be broadcast live in HD on Channel 4.

“This is a historic moment for us,” said W Series CEO Catherine Bond-Muir.

“The UK, with its incredible love of motorsport, is a cornerstone market for W Series, and what better way to engage and entertain than with live coverage of our all-female single-seater racing?

“Channel 4 is the ideal broadcast partner and we're delighted to be working with them as we introduce the world to this exciting new concept.”

Channel 4 commissioning editor for sport Joe Blake-Turner added: "We're thrilled to be bringing live coverage of W Series to terrestrial audiences.

“Women have been under-represented in motorsport for far too long and who knows, this exciting format could be the first step towards producing a female Formula 1 champion in the not-too-distant future.”

The news comes as a boost to motorsport’s free-to-air coverage in the UK following Channel 4’s loss of consistent live Formula 1 coverage through 2019, with only the British Grand Prix set to be shown live on terrestrial television this year.

W Series’ move on to free-to-air follows a similar move from Formula E, which struck a deal with the BBC for its latest season to be shown across its digital platforms.