'F1 on CBS' - The World's Most Electrifying Motor Sport Comes to Network TV This Spring

'F1 on CBS' - The World's Most Electrifying Motor Sport Comes to Network TV This Spring

Four Races and Special Programming With Behind-The-Scenes Footage Introduce Formula 1 Racing to the U.S. Mainstream

LOS ANGELES, April 20 /PRNewswire/ -- This weekend on CBS, American television viewers will have access to the fast paced and glamorous world of Formula 1 racing on network TV. Four races from the 2005 F1 season will be broadcast in prime weekend programming slots on CBS, starting April 24th with the San Marino Grand Prix. It will mark the first time multiple F1 races have been televised on network TV in the US. In addition to the four thrilling races, special programming featuring behind-the-scenes footage will bring viewers into the fast lane of F1, focusing on the exclusive, high-profile celebrity lifestyle that makes F1 all the rage with hundreds of millions of people around the world.

Grand Prix Entertainment, in cooperation with Wasserman Media Group, is spearheading the effort to bring F1 to the U.S. Michael Heyward, managing partner of Grand Prix Entertainment notes, "Formula One Racing is about glamour, exotic locales, a high-end lifestyle. We are catering to a younger, more progressive American audience." Seth Berman, director of marketing for GPE, will oversee many aspects of the targeted launch.

Fans around the nation can tune in starting with the San Marino Grand Prix on April 24th. Following San Marino, the CBS broadcast schedule continues with the Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona on May 8th, the Canada Grand Prix in Montreal on June 12th and the German Grand Prix on July 24th. The Montreal race will be televised live.

Special programming produced by Grand Prix Entertainment in association with Wasserman Media Group will air during the season, separate from the races, at times to be determined. The exclusive footage will focus on the lavish culture surrounding F1 by heading behind-the-scenes at the Monaco Grand Prix. The Monaco Grand Prix takes place the weekend after the Cannes Film Festival and the crossover and excitement between the two events is unparalleled. Cameras will take the viewers onto multi-million dollar yachts and to exclusive parties where drivers and fans of the sport mingle with A-list celebrities. In addition to the behind the scenes footage, there will be appearances by Hollywood celebrities and international royalty.

The Formula One on CBS race program schedule follows (all times are Est. Std. Time):

April 24th 1-3 pm Race Republic of San Marino May 8th 1-3 pm Race Barcelona, Spain June 12th 12-2 pm Race Montreal, Quebec (LIVE) July 24th 1-3 pm Race Hockenheim, Germany

The 2005 Formula One World Championship is a 10 team, 20 driver, 19-race season spanning 38 weeks. The 2005 season is underway and is shaping up to be one of the most exciting in memory. Ferrari, the perennial favorite, has struggled early in the season and Renault has taken advantage by leaping into the top position. Michael Schumacher, seven-time world champion and the highest paid professional athlete in the world, leads Ferrari and is anxious to make some changes. New regulations, including a mandate that each car's engine must complete two races before it is replaced (unless it is destroyed) and restrictions on aerodynamics have closed many performance gaps, placing extra responsibility on the drivers.

The global popularity of the Formula One World Championship is unsurpassed by any other annual sports property. Each Grand Prix race attracts hundreds of millions of television viewers in over 150 countries and over 120,000 spectators at the track. Formula One racing team budgets can reach over $300 million per season. F1 drivers are an elite and exceptional group of athletes who are among the most highly paid sports stars in the world.

Grand Prix Entertainment

Grand Prix Entertainment is leading a full-scale launch of Formula 1 in the US in 2005. The launch is supported by PR initiatives, on-air promos, print, outdoor and broadcast advertising as well as a major viral marketing campaign. Grand Prix Entertainment owns the exclusive domestic broadcast television rights to F1 and orchestrated an agreement with CBS television to air content, including international races, live and taped delayed and behind the scenes specially produced programming.

Source: Grand Prix Entertainment

CONTACT: Eric Raymond, +1-310-854-4841, eraymond@bncpr.com, or Jesse Schiller, +1-310-854-4866, jschiller@bncpr.com, both for Grand Prix Entertainment

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