The sports marketing giant will produce all 13 rounds of this year's series for BBC Grandstand. It has pledged an exciting new show featuring 16 in-car cameras, and with between seven and nine cameras stationed around each circuit. Viewers will also be able to see on-screen graphics showing cars' speed, revs, gears and brake traces at selected races.

Spectators at the races will also benefit. A live outside broadcast-standard feed of each event will be transmitted to a giant LED screen. Measuring 17 square metres, the screen is worth one million pounds. It was previously housed within the Millennium Dome.

"The deal will bring the touring car series into a different era with its new form of broadcast standard," commented BTCC series director Richard West. "I am convinced it will benefit the live spectator and the armchair fan alike."

Octagon CSI significantly increased the viewing figures in its first season of televising the British Superbike series. It distributes programmes to over 180 countries. "The vision for the BTCC in the future is not only to maximise exposure in the home market, but to extend it overseas," said West. "Octagon CSI is ideally placed to help achieve that objective."

TOCA and the BBC have agreed that deferred broadcasts will offer fans the best entertainment this season. Accordingly, there will be no live races on TV. The BBC remains committed to the new-look series, and negotiations over future coverage are ongoing.

Dave Gordon, the BBC's executive editor of TV sport, commented: "The BBC has been a long-term supporter of the British Touring Car Championship, and is once again looking forward to playing its part in this new and exciting era."

The BTCC is already second only to Formula One in the domestic motorsport ratings. Last year, the series attracted a total audience of 14.85 million viewers. Four rounds featured in the top 10 UK motorsport broadcasts.