Speed and the Automobile Club de l'Ouest have reached agreement on multi-year deal that includes expanded digital rights and keeps the celebrated 24 Hours of Le Mans with the North American television home it has had since 1996.
"The 24 Hours of Le Mans certainly is one of the crown jewels of motor sport," Speed president Scott Ackerson said in a release. "Together with our coverage of the Daytona 24, this deal cements Speed as the continued home for the world's premiere sports car endurance racing."
On June 16, the 17-year relationship continues with Speed's live coverage of the 80th running of the world's oldest sports car endurance race.
"Le Mans has taken on the aura of one of a select group of sporting events that belongs to the entire world," former racer and Speed analyst David Hobbs, who competed 20 times in the event, said in the release. "It belongs with such events as Wimbledon and the Indy 500."
In addition to the new television deal with Fox-owned Speed, 20th Century Fox is developing a project based on A.J. Baime's best-selling book Go Like Hell: Ford, Ferrari and Their Battle for Speed and Glory at Le Mans. Baime is expected to be a guest during the June race broadcast on Speed.
