Germany shifts into new Top Gear

Top Gear’s new presenters Matt LeBlanc (left) and Chris Evans

Germany’s RTL Nitro has picked up exclusive free TV rights to the latest season of BBC motoring show Top Gear.

The revamped series, distributed by BBC Worldwide (BBCWW), is slated to air on the RTL Group-owned male-skewing network in the autumn and repeats will be aired on n-tv.

Tobi de Graaff, exec VP of western Europe at BBCWW, said: “Having previously licensed former series of Top Gear UK as well as Top Gear USA, it is fantastic to know that the brand will go from strength to strength in Germany through its new residence on RTL Nitro.”

The show, which had previously been sold to ProSiebenSat.1-owned Kabel Eins, will be available in English and dubbed into German.

Yesterday History in the US confirmed it was ending its local version of the format and there had been concerns that the UK original, which airs on BBC2, could struggle internationally after former host Jeremy Clarkson left the series following his altercation with a producer.

He has since been replaced by Chris Evans and Matt LeBlanc, with UK ratings largely mirroring those of the final Clarkson season once catch-up viewers had been taken into account.