Pay-TV heavyweight Sky New Zealand (NZ) has continued its run of sports rights acquisitions by renewing its broadcast partnership with the international SailGP Championship series for the 2026 season.
Under the renewal, all SailGP events will be streamed live on Sky NZ’s ThreeNow platform, with delayed coverage of each race also airing on its free-to-air linear channel Three the next day at NZT 4.30 pm.
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The renewal has been unveiled ahead of the series’ stop in Auckland, New Zealand, which will be simulcast live on Three and ThreeNow on February 14 and 15.
ThreeNow, the free ad-supported streaming service, was previously owned by media giant Warner Bros. Discovery but was taken over by Sky NZ last August when the broadcaster completed its acquisition of WBD’s New Zealand assets, including ThreeNow and linear channels Three, Rush, and HGTV.
Adam Crothers, head of content partnerships at Sky, said: “We’re excited to confirm that Three and ThreeNow continue as the home of SailGP in New Zealand.
“This partnership ensures fans can continue to watch world‑class racing through the free‑to‑air and streaming experience they have enjoyed in previous seasons, now within the Sky family.”
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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 renewal is the latest in a line of sports rights deals recently announced by Sky NZ, most recently extending its distribution agreement with international sports network ESPN to carry its array of properties, including Major League Baseball (MLB), American football’s NFL, ice hockey’s NHL, and basketball coverage from the NBA, FIBA, and Australia’s NBL.
Last month, the broadcaster consolidated its golf portfolio by extending its exclusive broadcast rights to the DP World Tour until the end of the 2029 season and renewing its partnership with the country’s annual New Zealand Open.
Other rights held by Sky NZ include the Olympic Games through 2032, the 2026 Commonwealth Games, motor racing’s Formula 1, the Supercars touring series, games and competitions organized by the New Zealand governing body, and golf’s PGA Tour.
The deal adds to SailGP’s growing list of broadcast partners, providing coverage for the current season, with CBS Sports, the Paramount-owned US commercial network, and Kayo Sports, the sports streaming platform of Australian pay-TV broadcast 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.
The announcement also comes weeks after SailGP confirmed the final date on its 2026 calendar through a long-term hosting agreement with the community of Valencia, Spain, replacing Cadiz, host of Spain’s Sailing Grand Prix for the last four years.
In 2026, the event will take place across September 5 and 6, making it the 10th event on SailGP’s 13-race 2026 calendar, following the Germany Sail Grand Prix in late August, and directly preceding the Switzerland Sail Grand Prix later in September.
In terms of sponsorship agreements, the series most recently extended its tie-up with financial services provider Apex Group for another three seasons, while securing a new deal with energy drinks giant Red Bull.
