The Circuit of Ireland Rally is going ‘live’ and global this year for the first time.

It will be available to watch around the world via the internet, as it happens, on the events own website, www.circuitofireland.net.

The rally, which is part of the European, British and Irish Tarmac championships, is to be streamed live with coverage from many of the special stages and from the service areas including end-of-stage interviews with the crews.

“I don’t think this has been done on this scale on any rally anywhere in the world before and has taken many months of negotiations to obtain the requisite permissions to broadcast the Circuit of Ireland globally,” said Event Director Bobby Willis.

“But more and more people are accessing their entertainment and their sport via computers, tablets and smart phones and we believe this is an important way to broaden the rally’s appeal.

“Eurosport, will also be screening the rally with highlights programmes each evening. In 2015 this reached over 40 million people globally and is an incredible asset for our event. “

The rally, which has attracted a record entry and includes European champion Kajetan Kajetanowicz and last year’s winner Craig Breen, begins on Thursday with the Qualifying Stage which is based at Antrim Castle Gardens and will be followed by a ceremonial start outside the Irish Linen Centre and Lisburn Museum in the evening.

The Friday leg features rural stages close to Larne and Ballymena and includes a re-fuel halt at the Ballymena Showgrounds. It also encompassing Glendun Stage and Torr Head as well as a passage control at the Dark Hedges and a re-group at Bushmills Distillery. The Ards TT Stage will take place in Newtownards town centre on Friday evening.

The Saturday leg will include stages close to Downpatrick, Ballynahinch, Dromore and Banbridge with town centre control points in Downpatrick and Banbridge. The rally will finish back in Belfast on Saturday evening and will culminate in a special closing ceremony outside Queen’s University when the 2016 winners will be presented with the historic Circuit of Ireland trophy.

The Circuit of Ireland is the second of 10 rounds in the 2016 FIA European Rally Championship (ERC) and is also a counting round of the 2016 British Rally Championship (BRC) the Irish Tarmac Championship and is a counting round of the Northern Ireland Championship