SailGP has expanded its international presence by securing the commercial network Bermuda Broadcasting Company (BBC) as a new rights partner for the 2026 season.
The deal will see the BBC, the largest commercial media company in Bermuda, air SailGP races live for the rest of the 2026 season and provide highlights programs on-demand.
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The BBC’s coverage will start with this weekend’s New Zealand Sail Grand Prix (February 14 to 15) in Auckland’s Waitematā Harbour, before heading to Sydney, Australia, and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
The highlight for the BBC will be the Bermuda Sail Grand Prix – the fifth stop of the 2026 SailGP Championship – with the broadcaster providing extensive pre-race programming and onshore events at the domestic race.
Russell Coutts, SailGP co-founder and chief executive, said: “Bermuda holds a special place in SailGP’s history, and the Apex Group Bermuda Sail Grand Prix will once again showcase the island as a world-class racing destination.
“Through this broadcast partnership, local audiences will also have front-row access to the most exciting racing on water throughout the entire season.”
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By GlobalDataThe 2026 season kicked off with Australia’s inaugural Perth Sail Grand Prix on January 18, with 13 teams racing identical catamarans.
The new deal comes a day after pay-TV heavyweight Sky New Zealand renewed its SailGP rights for the 2026 season, with all events to be streaming live on the broadcaster’s ThreeNow platform, with delayed coverage airing on its free-to-air channel Three the next day.
The series also secured deals covering the current season with CBS Sports, the Paramount-owned US commercial network, and Kayo Sports, the sports streaming platform of Australian pay-TV broadcaster Foxtel, securing rights last month.
SailGP’s global broadcast audience for the 2024-25 season reached nearly 215 million, averaging 18 million viewers per event.
Last month, SailGP finalized its 2026 calendar after announcing a long-term agreement for Valencia to replace Cadiz as the host of Spain’s Sail Grand Prix, with this year’s inaugural edition to take place across September 5 and 6.
