Staying awake to watch America’s Cup

The first wave of broadcast partners for the 36th America’s Cup have been revealed for over 120 territories around the world.

“Since we won the America’s Cup in Bermuda in 2017, we have always stated that our objective was to make this America’s Cup the most inclusive and accessible America’s Cup in its 170 year history,” said Grant Dalton, CEO of the Defender, Emirates Team New Zealand.

“And a big part of this is making the broadcast of the events as widely available as possible via national free-to-air networks, supplemented by major pay channels, and on our website and digital platforms.”

Patrizio Bertelli, CEO of COR 36 (Challenger of Record), added that since the very beginning of this edition, the quality of broadcast production and the wide distribution has been a priority, emphasizing the broadcast of the America’s Cup to the largest possible audience over an economic return.

Racing in the AC75s will begin in Auckland on December 17-20, 2020 with the PRADA America’s Cup World Series Auckland and the PRADA Christmas Race. The PRADA Cup, the Challenger Selection Series, begins on January 15, 2021. The winner of the PRADA Cup will meet the Defender, Emirates Team New Zealand, in the 36th America’s Cup Match starting on March 6, 2021.

With the Challenger Finals and America’s Cup Match to not start before 1600 hours in Auckland, here are the times that would be for the Challenger hometowns:
3:00 am – London, Great Britain
4:00 am – Cagliari, Italy
10:00 pm – Newport, USA

Providing broadcast access in over 120 territories, the 36th America’s Cup has partnered with free-to-air and pay networks including:

• New Zealand – home country of Emirates Team New Zealand (Defender) – TVNZ
• Italy – home country of Luna Rossa PRADA Pirelli Team (Challenger of Record) – RAI and Sky Italia
• UK – home country of INEOS Team UK (Challenger) – BBC and Sky UK & Ireland
• USA and Caribbean – home country of NYYC American Magic (Challenger) – NBC Sports
• Australia – Fox Sports Australia
• Pacific Island Nations – Pasifika TV
• France, Switzerland, sub-Saharan Africa and other French territories – Canal+
• Sweden – TV12 and C More
• South Africa & sub-Saharan Africa – SuperSport
• Korea – SBS
• Taiwan – ELTA
• Malaysia & Brunei – Astro

TERRITORIAL COVERAGE
With just under three months still to go before the start of the PRADA Cup, further broadcaster deals are in the pipeline and a second wave of partnerships will be announced before racing starts this December.

Complementing broadcaster partnerships, the America’s Cup will also make extensive live coverage, race highlights and clips available online for free via www.americascup.com and its digital channels ensuring that sailing fans in over 225 countries will have opportunities to enjoy the live racing from Auckland. This is ever more important in the light of a travel restricted world.

“For this America’s Cup we have started from scratch with the entire race management and TV broadcast system,” said Dalton. “No one has covered these amazing AC75’s before, this will be the first time it has been done and it has been our intention to build the broadcast around the spectacle of two AC75’s Match Racing in one of the most iconic sailing locations in the world.”

Source: America’s Cup

Details: www.americascup.com

36th America’s Cup
In addition to Challenges from Italy, USA, and Great Britain that were accepted during the initial entry period (January 1 to June 30, 2018), eight additional Notices of Challenge were received by the late entry deadline on November 30, 2018. Of those eight submittals, entries from Malta, USA, and the Netherlands were also accepted. Here’s the list:

Defender:
• Emirates Team New Zealand (NZL)

Challengers:
• Luna Rossa (ITA) – Challenger of Record
• American Magic (USA)
• INEOS Team UK (GBR)
• Malta Altus Challenge (MLT) – WITHDRAWN
• Stars + Stripes Team USA (USA)
• DutchSail (NED) – WITHDRAWN

Of the three late entries, only Stars+Stripes USA remains committed, however, it is unclear what entry payments have been made, nor is there knowledge of a boat being actively built or sailing team assembled.

Key America’s Cup dates:
✔ September 28, 2017: 36th America’s Cup Protocol released
✔ November 30, 2017: AC75 Class concepts released to key stakeholders
✔ January 1, 2018: Entries for Challengers open
✔ March 31, 2018: AC75 Class Rule published
✔ June 30, 2018: Entries for Challengers close
✔ August 31, 2018: Location of the America’s Cup Match and The PRADA Cup confirmed
✔ August 31, 2018: Specific race course area confirmed
✔ November 30, 2018: Late entries deadline
✔ March 31, 2019: Boat 1 can be launched (DELAYED)
✔ 2nd half of 2019: 2 x America’s Cup World Series events (CANCELLED)
✔ October 1, 2019: US$1million late entry fee deadline (NOT KNOWN)
✔ February 1, 2020: Boat 2 can be launched (DELAYED)
✔ April 23-26, 2020: First (1/3) America’s Cup World Series event in Cagliari, Sardinia (CANCELLED)
✔ June 4-7, 2020: Second (2/3) America’s Cup World Series event in Portsmouth, England (CANCELLED)
• December 17-20, 2020: Third (3/3) America’s Cup World Series event in Auckland, New Zealand
• January 15-February 22, 2021: The PRADA Cup Challenger Selection Series
• March 6-15, 2021: The America’s Cup Match

Youth America’s Cup Competition (CANCELLED)
• February 18-23, 2021
• March 1-5, 2021
• March 8-12, 2021

AC75 launch dates:
September 6 – Emirates Team New Zealand (NZL), Boat 1
September 10 – American Magic (USA), Boat 1; actual launch date earlier but not released
October 2 – Luna Rossa (ITA), Boat 1
October 4 – INEOS Team UK (GBR), Boat 1

Details: www.americascup.com