The International Swimming League has reached a multiyear media-rights deal with CBS Sports in the United States ahead of the organization’s second season.
The start-up ISL is holding the majority of its 2020 season in Budapest, Hungary, with a condensed five-week schedule in order to ensure the health and safety of its athletes in the wake of the global Covid-19 pandemic.
CBS Sports will provide coverage of all 13 events live across its various platforms, including the main CBS network and cable channel CBS Sports Network.
“We are thrilled with this partnership and the commitment made by CBS to air all ISL events live to its North American audience. From the beginning, the team at CBS really impressed us with their understanding of our vision,” said ISL founder and chairman Konstantin Grigorishin in a statement. “This partnership will provide a wonderful platform to showcase the world’s best swimmers, female and male, challenging each other in the most entertaining competitive format ever created in the sport.”
Last year, the ISL had a US streaming deal with ESPN3, the multiscreen digital network on the ESPN App.
In & Out Stories, the Paris-based media rights consultancy created by former Eurosport executive Arnaud Simon, will continue to distribute the international broadcast rights (excluding US and Japan). The 2019 edition secured major broadcasting deals worldwide with the likes of the BBC, Eurosport, and beIN Sports.
Two new teams were also announced for the 2020 season, the Toronto Titans and the Tokyo Frog Kings joining the American and Eurasian conferences respectively to take the total number of teams for the new campaign to 10.
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