TV2, the government-owned free-to-air broadcaster in Denmark, has acquired rights to SailGP, as a home boat prepares to make its debut in the second season of the fledgling sailing series.
TV2 will cover SailGP’s 2020 campaign, commencing with the opening round of the season in Sydney, Australia on February 28-29.
TV2 Sport manager Kristian Hyldgaard said the broadcaster will seek to build on its experience of sailing coverage from the 2016 summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.
Commenting on the SailGP deal, he said: “I see a really great opportunity to bring sailing to even more Danes, rather than just the sailing professionals.
“We gained good experience at the Rio Olympics, and with this new ‘Formula 1 of sailing’, there is a strong focus on the fact that sailing must be a good television experience. With a world-class TV production, a Danish boat and not least the fascination with the speed on the water, we have the ingredients for an exciting TV sport.”
The team sailing competition founded and financially backed by Oracle billionaire Larry Ellison last month announced it had sold a minority stake to the Endeavor sports and entertainment group in a deal valuing the series at $200m (€184.8m).
Talisman Sport and Media, the boutique media-rights agency, has worked with SailGP on the distribution of its international broadcast rights and remains in place in that role. The agreement with TV2 was negotiated by Talisman.
The investment by Endeavor will increase the likelihood that Endeavor’s IMG agency will become involved in the distribution of SailGP’s media and sponsorship rights in the future.
In December, mineral wool products manufacturer Rockwool Group was unveiled as the presenting sponsor of the new Danish SailGP team.