The Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) sports and entertainment giant will provide broadcast coverage for sailing’s upcoming America’s Cup, beginning in Barcelona later this week, across 50 European markets.
Through a deal unveiled earlier today, WBD will offer subscribers in the UK and Ireland live-streaming coverage of every America’s Cup race via the Discovery+ platform, while the TNT Sports broadcaster in those markets will also show live action.
Elsewhere in Europe, meanwhile, a highlights program will be shown on race days across 50 markets, with that show to be aired across the Eurosport linear channel, as well as Max and Discovery+ as streaming options.
In terms of other continental media rights deals for this year’s America’s Cup, last September the European Broadcasting Union, the alliance of public-service broadcasters, snapped up rights in 39 markets.
This latest deal builds on the existing tie-up between WBD and the sailing competition’s organizers (announced in late June), through which WBD’s free-to-air channel in New Zealand, Three, will provide live coverage.
Overall, the deal will guarantee coverage across the continent for the preliminary regattas, the Louis Vuitton Cup, the America's Cup match, the Women's America's Cup, and the Youth's America's Cup.
The overall 2024 America’s Cup in Barcelona is set to begin on August 22 (Thursday), while the America’s Cup Match itself will take place between October 12 and 21.
Trojan Paillot, senior vice president of sports rights acquisitions and syndications at WBD Sports Europe, said: “No other broadcaster can match [our] global distribution, scale, and reach, and by partnering with the 37th America’s Cup to guarantee race coverage on our channels and platforms, we know we can help bring the sport to new audiences.
“Our new collaboration underlines our continued investment in sailing to develop a compelling content proposition that serves passionate fans while helping attract new viewers to the sport.”
Elsewhere in sailing, WBD acted as host broadcaster and distribution partner for The Ocean Race, the round-the-world event, in 2023.
The WBD deal in New Zealand has been struck as a three-way deal between the broadcaster, Team New Zealand (New Zealand hosted the last edition), and media brand Stuff.
Each America’s Cup event will be live and free-to-air across stuff.co.nz, and the Three and ThreeNow channels. In addition to live coverage, each race will receive a full replay in the morning New Zealand time (due to time difference issues), and be available on-demand.
