America's Cup Partnership (ACP), the new entity recently formed by a quintet of the sailing competition’s founding teams to provide enhanced governance, has named Marzio Perrelli as its first chief executive.
The Italian officially begins in the role today. Grant Dalton, CEO of Emirates Team New Zealand, will remain in place as the chairman of ACP.
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Perrelli’s career to date has seen him work within finance, media strategy, and sports rights management. He joins after working across finance in the UK, USA, and Italy, where he held senior leadership roles at both Goldman Sachs and HSBC.
He entered the media and sports industry in 2018, joining pay-TV heavyweight Sky Italia as executive vice president, with responsibility for the entire Sky Sports division, encompassing both editorial and production teams as well as managing the sports rights portfolio.
On his new role as CEO of ACP, he has said: “The America’s Cup is the oldest and most prestigious competition in international sport. Our responsibility today, on behalf of all stakeholders, is to preserve its deep heritage while ensuring greater continuity, stability and long-term growth.
“The America’s Cup Partnership represents an evolution in how the event is managed, providing a more consistent framework for teams, partners and host venues, while fully respecting the sporting tradition that defines the cup.
“By strengthening governance and long-term planning, we aim to create the conditions for sustained investment, continued innovation at the pinnacle of the sport and broader global engagement.”
Dalton added: “On behalf of the ACP board, it’s an appropriate time to be welcoming Marzio Perrelli as its first chief executive. It is a unique position in sport at a time of huge opportunity, with at least five strong teams confirmed for Naples in 2027 and a changing sporting landscape that sees women onboard the America’s Cup yachts for the first time.
“The formation of the ACP offers surety and continuity over future regattas and initiatives, and the continuing recon programme offers multi-media opportunities that are undeniable for the growth of the America’s Cup. Signing TV rights with the likes of Italian broadcaster, Rai, will further amplify initiatives already in place. Marzio joins at the perfect time with all the credentials to take the event and the sport forward.”
The ACP was formed in December by reigning America’s Cup champion Emirates Team New Zealand (New Zealand), challenger of record Athena Racing (Great Britain), Luna Rossa (Italy), Tudor Team Alinghi (Switzerland), and K-Challenge (France) in a bid to modernize the major sailing event.
These teams will operate under a collective framework governing both sporting and commercial aspects, with a shared revenue system and cost control measures enforced to ensure greater financial sustainability and maintain parity between competing organizations.
This also means that, unlike all editions previously, the organization of future editions of the America’s Cup will not rest solely on the shoulders of the defending team, but rather the burden will be shared across the ACP.
The teams agreed to establish an independent management team to operate the ACP with expertise in both sporting and commercial areas.
Soon after the organisation was created, it was announced that from the 2027 edition onwards, the America’s Cup will be contested on a biennial schedule, aiming to ensure consistency with a format that previously had a fixed calendar.
The 2027 edition of the America’s Cup will take place in Naples, Italy, with the opportunity for further teams to join ACP (though neither Alinghi nor K-Challenge has confirmed their participation).
The ACP has also committed to supporting future editions of the women’s and youth category America’s Cup competitions.
