SailGP has revealed a raft of broadcast partnerships ahead of the debut of the new sailing championship later this week.
Set to open in Sydney, Australia on February 15-16, organisers said their global distribution plan includes broadcast agreements that ensure coverage in 90 countries, across five continents.
Pay-television broadcaster Fox Sports will carry live coverage in Australia, with the television broadcast bolstered by live streaming coverage on Kayo Sports.
Pay-television broadcaster BT Sport will become the home of SailGP in the UK and Ireland across its linear and OTT offerings, and pay-television broadcaster Canal Plus will provide dedicated coverage of each of the five events in France via its multiple platforms. Sports streaming service DAZN will feature live and delayed coverage in Japan, while pay-television broadcaster Sky New Zealand will carry the live feed, alongside free-to-air coverage via its Prime channel.
Chinese fans will be able to access live coverage in Mandarin on internet company Tencent’s qq.com platform, as well as the Tencent Sports, News, Video and Penguin Live mobile applications.
Teams representing Great Britain, Australia, France, China and Japan will be joined in SailGP by a US outfit. SailGP said a US broadcast partner is expected to be announced later this week.
In the United States, racing will air live on social media platform Facebook alongside full access on the SailGP app, which is set to be released this week. The app will offer a multi-feed, data-rich service that will allow viewers to watch the host broadcast with 11 feeds featuring onboard coverage from each boat.
Elsewhere, SailGP will also be offered by pay-television broadcaster SuperSport across sub-Saharan Africa. Pay-television broadcaster Fox Sports Asia has also come on board; along with media company Nordic Entertainment Group in Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Finland, with highlights programs scheduled on its sports television channels. In addition, pay-television broadcaster Arena Sport will provide Balkan racing fans with coverage, while fans in Israel can follow the action on pay-television broadcaster Charlton’s ‘Sport’ channels.
All offerings across these networks will be complemented by low-latency coverage on Facebook Live and the SailGP app.
SailGP chief executive Russell Coutts said: “Using the latest technology and through these valuable partnerships, we will deliver a broadcast and digital product that caters to modern consumption habits and brings our sport to life in a way that hasn’t been done before.”
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