The International Orienteering Federation has said its 2017 World Orienteering Championships will receive live coverage in host nation Estonia, as well as the sport’s key markets of Denmark, Sweden, Finland and Switzerland, as the event continues to increase its broadcast reach.
The city of Tartu will host the Championships from July 1-7. While the IOF did not disclose the identities of its live broadcast partners, it added that highlights programs will be broadcast in 139 countries around the world.
Broadcasts from the 2016 Championships, held in Stromstad and Tanum, Sweden, were available to television viewers in 67 countries and territories. Through agreements signed with the Broadreach Media agency and international sports broadcaster Eurosport, daily highlights programs also reached an additional 56 territories.
The IOF added that through its partnership with Broadreach Media, highlights programs from each event in the Orienteering World Cup, including the World Championships, will be broadcast in another 137 countries throughout Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia. Full live productions will also be available globally via the Live Orienteering online platform.
“We are very happy that we have been able to further increase the visibility of orienteering and WOC through several new broadcasting deals,” Tom Hollowell, IOF chief executive, said. “We have also established a consistent quality in our live productions and are glad to see a continued interest from core markets.
“We are still awaiting last-minute answers from several other broadcasting partners, among others in North America, so the above numbers might grow slightly.”