Italian public-service broadcaster Rai has finalized a deal to cover next year's edition of sailing's iconic America's Cup – which will be held in that country.
Through a deal unveiled late last week, Rai will act as the exclusive host broadcaster of the 2027 America's Cup, set to take place in Naples.
Go deeper with GlobalData
Discover B2B Marketing That Performs
Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.
The agreement also covers the various challenger and preliminary series ahead of the regatta itself, as well as both the Youth America's Cup and Women's America's Cup (which will also run in the southern, coastal Italian city).
The Italian broadcaster will air the America's Cup on its main channels and "across all platforms," with coverage also set to include "in-depth reports and original productions" aside from the races themselves.
For the last America's Cup, which took place in New Zealand two years ago, coverage in Italy was provided by a combination of Sky Italia and Mediaset, in deals announced in mid-2023.
Grant Dalton, chair of the organizing body behind next year's America's Cup, has said: "Rai ticks every box with their multi-platform, live and on-demand channels alongside first-class production values that are key to the overall presentation of the most exciting America’s Cup in its 175-year history."
US Tariffs are shifting - will you react or anticipate?
Don’t let policy changes catch you off guard. Stay proactive with real-time data and expert analysis.
By GlobalDataJanuary saw luxury goods giant Louis Vuitton extend its tenure as the sailing event's title sponsor.
Louis Vuitton, which has been a sponsor of the America’s Cup since 1983, stepped up to the role of title sponsor in 2023 ahead of the event’s 2024 edition, and will maintain that role for the next edition of the match in 2027, as well as the pre-race regattas.
The America's Cup Partnership (ACP), a new governing partnership agreement aimed at modernizing the event, was also confirmed in January. It is an agreement between the five competing teams – from New Zealand, Great Britain, Italy, Switzerland, and France – who will now operate under a collective framework governing both sporting and commercial aspects.
Giampaolo Rossi, Rai's chief executive, added: "Tapping into the growing popularity of sailing, and in particular the America’s Cup, is something that Rai will approach with a multi-channel approach to bring the regatta and all the key stakeholders, personalities and sporting competition to life. We look forward to working with the impressive media and management teams to deliver an outstanding broadcast property that reflects the history and modernity of this great competition.”
For Rai, this news comes hot on the heels of the public-service broadcaster finalizing a deal to secure exclusive, multi-platform rights to soccer's 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Through the agreement, Rai has been awarded rights to show 35 matches from the upcoming major tournament, to be held across June and July in Mexico, the US, and Canada.
The broadcaster’s package includes the opening match, all games featuring the Italian national team (should they qualify), the semi-finals, and the final, as well as non-exclusive radio rights to all matches.
