America’s Cup amid Kiwi Broadcast War

SKY TV has hit back in a renewed broadcasting war with Television New Zealand by taking exclusive rights to the America’s Cup off the state broadcaster. TVNZ recently announced it had secured exclusive rights to the 2018 Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast in what was considered a blow to Sky.

But the pay TV network struck back today when it announced it had secured live coverage of every race of the 35th America’s Cup including the Louis Vuitton America’s Cup World Series Oman at the end of this month.

As reported in the New Zealand Herald, TVNZ has always been the home of the America’s Cup with the network and will be annoyed at the loss of the event. The move does deny free-to-air audiences access to the event, although Sky may yet do a deal to screen some footage on its Prime channel.

The America’s Cup website reports that New Zealand America’s Cup fans can watch LIVE coverage of every race of the 35th America’s Cup on SKY, beginning with Louis Vuitton America’s Cup World Series Oman at the end of this month.

“SKY New Zealand becomes a powerful partner for the America’s Cup with this agreement,” said Harvey Schiller, the Commercial Commissioner of the 35th America’s Cup.

“We know how enthusiastic the fan base is in New Zealand. The Kiwi team has been a finalist in five of the last six America’s Cups and is currently leading the Louis Vuitton America’s Cup World Series after the first three events,” Schiller continued.

“Peter Burling, the current World Sailor of the year, and inaugural winner of the Red Bull Youth America’s Cup, has brought youthful, new energy in steering the team to the top of the leaderboard so there is a lot of excitement as we head into the 2016 events.”

SKY’s Director of Sport Richard Last said: “The last America’s Cup had the entire country watching as Emirates Team New Zealand came within a race of bringing the Cup back to New Zealand.

“We are proud to be the exclusive broadcast partner for this edition of the America’s Cup, as we follow Emirates Team New Zealand through the qualifying events towards the finals in Bermuda in June 2017.”

The Louis Vuitton America’s Cup World Series continues with the first event of 2016 on February 27-28 from Muscat, Oman. The LIVE action will screen on SKY Sport and be supplemented with replays and highlights.

SKY Sport will continue its coverage across this year’s Louis Vuitton America’s Cup World Series events in New York (May 7-8), Chicago (June 11-12), Portsmouth, UK (July 23-24), and Toulon, France (September 10-11).

In May and June of 2017, the action shifts to Bermuda for the Louis Vuitton America’s Cup Qualifiers and Challenger Playoffs as well as the America’s Cup Match presented by Louis Vuitton, where the top challenger will take on defending champion, ORACLE TEAM USA.

Live coverage of the Louis Vuitton America’s Cup World Series first event of 2016 from Muscat, Oman on SKY Sport:

Day 1: Saturday 27 February, 11.00pm (NZT) – SKY Sport Pop-up Channel 055

Day 2: Sunday 28 February, 11.00pm (NZT) – SKY Sport Pop-up Channel 055