Australian commercial broadcaster Seven has acquired exclusive free-to-air live and highlights rights to the 2020 edition of the World Surf League.
The content will be showcased on Seven’s linear channels and the broadcaster’s 7plus streaming platform.
Seven’s coverage will begin with this month’s WSL Noosa Longboard World Tour event and continue with the Qualifying Series and then Challenger Series events in Sydney and New Zealand.
All 12 stops of the elite Championship Tour will be streamed live on 7plus, beginning with the Corona Open Gold Coast in March. The World Surf News Weekly programme will be shown on 7Mate, the broadcaster’s free-to-air digital channel.
Pay-television broadcaster Fox Sports has held the WSL rights in Australia since its inception in 2015.
Andrew Stark, the WSL’s Asia-Pacific general manager, said: “We see 2020 as a huge year for audience growth in surfing. With the introduction of the WSL Challenger Series and WSL Big Wave At Large, and a new exotic location on the Championship Tour, not to mention the Olympics – this will be the most exciting year in surfing, and we couldn’t be happier to have Seven onboard as a key partner for the ride.”