ALULA, Saudi Arabia: Video-sharing platform TikTok has joined forces with Extreme E to raise awareness of climate change ahead of the first ever race in the electric SUV rally series taking place in Saudi Arabia.
Nine teams will race in five of the world’s most remote and challenging terrains, with each destination highlighting a different environmental issue, starting with the Kingdom and desertification.
Other races include Senegal (rising sea levels), Greenland (melting ice cap), the Amazon, in Brazil (deforestation), and Patagonia, Argentina (glacial recession).
TikTok and Extreme E are bringing the off-road racing experience to the social networking service’s community while shedding light on the impact of climate change and providing a gender-equal platform.
In a world first for motorsport, the teams will include a male and female driver providing a level playing field for competitors. Activating the new partnership will be digital content agency and media network, Little Dot Studios.
Yannis Ioannidis, senior manager for global business development at TikTok, said: “We are really excited to kick-off our partnership with Extreme E, a first-of-kind motor-racing championship committed to sustainability and gender equality, values that matter deeply to TikTok.
“In a year where most of us are still stuck at home, Extreme E will showcase spectacular sports, technology, and travel content from remote corners of the planet to TikTok’s diverse community that is always looking for new ways to keep entertained and interact.”
As part of the collaboration, Extreme E and Little Dot Studios will create bespoke behind-the-scenes video content from the racing locations, feature highlights from the races, and produce exclusive live streaming content to drive awareness on climate change and other initiatives, providing fans with a unique way to experience racing content on TikTok.
Users can access content from the official Extreme E TikTok account and dedicated banners on TikTok’s discover page. The season gets underway in AlUla on April 3 and ends on Dec. 12 in Tierra del Fuego, Argentina.
Ali Russell, chief marketing officer at Extreme E, said: “Extreme E’s goal is to be the youngest, most dynamic racing series on the planet, so we are delighted to be joining forces with TikTok.
“Our sport for purpose platform, which highlights electrification, environment, and equality will provide thrilling action whilst also raising awareness of global climate change issues, the solutions, and the actions we can all be part of.
“My great thanks go to Yannis Ioannidis at TikTok and Robbie Spargo from Little Dot Studios for believing in the idea and bringing this partnership to life. We at Extreme E are majorly excited about the opportunities to create and share this exciting content stream,” he added.
On Saturday, April 3 the qualification races will see the top four teams advance to Sunday’s first semi-final, with the remaining five going through to the second semi – the Crazy Race. The three teams topping the leaderboard in the first semi, and the first and second-placed teams in the Crazy Race will progress to the final. One team will be crowned the X Prix winner if they meet the fastest combination in the two-day battle.
TikTok users can access Extreme E content through the official handle @extremeelive and TikTok’s discover page in participating regions.
Here is the full schedule for this year’s Season One of Extreme E:
April 3-4: Desert X Prix – AlUla, Saudi Arabia
May 29-30: Ocean X Prix – Lac Rose, Senegal
Aug. 28-29: Arctic X Prix – Kangerlussuaq, Greenland
Oct. 23-24: Amazon X Prix – Para, Brazil
Dec. 11-12: Glacier X Prix – Tierra del Fuego, Argentina
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