Association of Surfing Professionals International has agreed rights deals with video-sharing website YouTube and US pay-television broadcaster ESPN.
The agreements take effect from 2014, with ESPN becoming the association’s exclusive US domestic broadcaster as part of a three-year deal, through to 2016, to showcase the sport’s elite events.
Under the deal, surfing fans will be able to watch highlights on ESPN immediately following the events.
The association said that respective international linear broadcast deals would be finalised in the coming weeks.
The ASP YouTube channel, along with the rebuilt ASP website, which will embed this content via the YouTube player, will exclusively provide more than 3,000 hours of programming, including 26 live streamed events annually across the men’s ASP World Championship Tour, the women’s ASP World Championship Tour and the ASP Big Wave World Tour.
With the start of the 2014 season, production, marketing, media, social and sponsorship initiatives will be brought under the association’s banner for the first time in the history of surfing.
The 2013 season is serving as a transitional year ahead of the 2014 relaunch.