New benchmark set in global broadcast distribution

As the Extreme Sailing Series™ prepares to make the final stop of the 2013 global tour in Brazil (Nov 14-17), Series organisers and owners OC Sport can confirm that 54 channels around the globe will now broadcast the 2013 official seven-part dedicated TV series. According to leading TV production company Sunset+Vine|APP, this sets a new benchmark in global distribution for sailing.

Reaching five continents, the series is the most widely distributed annual sailing TV series in the world. Watch the 2013 episodes so far on the official Series YouTube channel, here and catch the first broadcast of the latest episode tonight (30 October) from the penultimate Act in Nice on Eurosport at 2030GMT.

The TV series contributes significantly today to the return on investment delivered to Host Venues and Commercial Partners, according to OC Sport Executive Chairman Mark Turner.

“One of our ambitions with Extreme Sailing Series is to deliver the best ROI in the sport of sailing for all our stakeholders, and to ultimately rival other top properties in the world of sport. We are not pretending to be the biggest event in the sport in media terms – there are others with significantly greater resources and buying power, but we do believe this event offers the best value for money in the sport for the venues and brands involved, be it with the teams or the event. We have a strong set of Host Venues lined up for 2014, great brands involved at event and team level, and the team line-up in sporting terms is shaping up to be one of the most interesting and competitive we have ever had, all of which I am sure will contribute even further to the global appeal of the Series.”

The Extreme Sailing Series has delivered high-performance racing action to millions around the globe, and has continued to grow in stature with Land Rover signing a three-year Series Main Partnership agreement earlier this year, further confirmation that the original elite level ‘Stadium Racing’ circuit has global and unique appeal for premium brands.

Channel 4 (UK), Eurosport (Pan-Europe), Universal Sports (USA), Fox Sports (Australia, Middle East, Americas), ESPN, (Africa, Caribbean, Middle East, Oceania, South America) and BEIN Sports (Al Jazeera Middle East) are just a few of the channels broadcasting the Series. This is a 20% increase in channels compared to 2012, as the Series continues to increase its global footprint.

In addition to the official programming, in 2013, the Series has also had 18 hours of live TV production distributed to many channels around the world, with a national broadcaster in almost all Acts the global tour has visited. An additional two hours of live coverage is confirmed for the Series finale in Brazil with national broadcaster SporTV, delivering the final races of 2013 live to homes around Brazil. With increased demand from broadcasters, for the first time in the seven-year history of the Series, there has also been live ‘out of territory’ broadcasts in the USA, Oman and Singapore.

The live action is available for an online audience on the dedicated Series YouTube channel, enhanced by Technical Partner SAP, delivering the Stadium Racing action to a fan base that goes beyond sailing fans around the world. Visit the official website www.extremesailingseries.com for the latest information and times on live broadcasts and TV series programming.

Source: Extreme Sailing Series