Sportcal

EBU renews long-standing World Rowing agreement through 2032

A broadcast partner since the 1980s, the EBU will disseminate its rights across 13 member public-service stations.

The World Rowing governing body has extended its long-running media distribution partnership with the European Broadcasters Union (EBU), the alliance of the continent’s public service broadcasters.

This new agreement begins immediately and runs through the end of 2032, covering a host of World Rowing’s biggest events, including the annual World Rowing Championships (which will take place next in September 2025), the European Rowing Championships, and the annual World Rowing Cups series.

A particular focus will be placed on the World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals, which will take place in November, as it marks the debut of a new format that is set for inclusion at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.

In all, 13 EBU members are included in the extended deal, including the public service networks of Croatia (HRT), Czechia (CT), Germany (ARD/ZDF), Greece (ERT), Ireland (RTE), Italy (RAI, which also covers San Marino and Vatican City), the Netherlands (NOS), Poland (TVP), Romania (TVR), Spain (RTVE), Switzerland (SRG), and Ukraine (Suspilne).

Of these 13, six have committed to covering World Rowing events throughout the duration of the deal, namely Czechia, Greece, the Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland, and Ukraine.

As with the majority of EBU broadcast partnerships, the audiovisual rights secured by the body for use by its members go hand in hand with the support of the organization's Eurovision Sport streaming platform, which will showcase all events covered by the renewal.

Vincent Gaillard, World Rowing executive director, added: “By providing World Rowing with greater flexibility to activate its media rights in the digital space, this enhanced agreement ensures strong exposure for our sport and helps us connect with both existing and new audiences across Europe.”

World Rowing, or FISA as it was previously known, and the EBU have been rights partners since the early 1980s, and the most recent renewal, a four-year partnership, was secured in 2020.

Before that came another four-year term covering 2017-2020, and so the extended eight-year terms of this new renewal represent a strong commitment to the long-term value of rowing rights in EBU member states. Not least with two Olympic Games to be held during that time.

The EBU has already struck a number of major broadcast partnerships for Olympic disciplines in 2025, including 3x3 basketball, aquatics, and gymnastics.