Television coverage of the 2008-09 race will ensure exposure in more than 180 countries following agreement on a number of distribution deals.
Those packages include a tie-up with Gillette World Sport, a programme carried by 200 broadcasters worldwide.
“Television distribution of the Volvo Ocean Race programming is well advanced,” said Executive Editor Harold Anderson.
“Part of the Volvo Ocean Race’s deal with our production and distribution partner Sunset + Vine is their commitment to screen regular feature stories on the 2008-09 race in their weekly magazine programme Gillette World Sport which reaches 180 countries.”
The first of those features can be seen in the UK on Sky Sports on Thursday 28th August, Thursday 18th September and Thursday 9th October.
In Asia a deal with ESPN/Star will see weekly programmes in prime time screened to an audience of 120 million viewers. On ESPN, weekly news updates on the flagship Sportscenter programme will attract similar numbers.
The television package in 2008-09 will include 39 weekly half-hour programmes and nine monthly one-hour programmes. They will be complimented by regular news feeds.
Coverage will be distributed from the start of the race in Alicante in October.
Programmes are independently produced by Sunset + Vine and sent out by satellite and tape distribution each week from purpose-built studios and editing facility at the race headquarters in Whiteley, Hampshire.
Race organisers are confident of surpassing the 1.8 billion cumulative television audience achieved in the 2005-06 race.
You can watch hours of race video at www.VolvoOceanRace.tv, the official Race TV channel for free!