No matter how you read it, ONE BILLION is a very, very, big number!
When the International Waterski Federation opted to stage seven Stops of the new Waterski and Wakeboard World Cup in highly populated areas around the globe, it was a largely untested formula. How quickly time can change perceptions! Following highly successful Stops in Enghien / Paris and Dubna / Moscow, the level of interest has soared and expectations continue to rise.
A major coup has now been secured by the IWSF in China. China Central Television (CCTV) is China’s largest TV Network. It incorporates 209 TV Stations. With 400 million TV sets in China, this is the World’s largest single pool of receivers and is double that of the USA.
CCTV have now agreed to transmit a two and a half hour live broadcast of the Waterski World Cup in China to its ONE BILLION viewers. Changshu City, located 72 km northwest of Shanghai on the Yangtse River Delta Plain, will host the Stop. With its subtropical climate and booming economy, this coastal City has a high quality Waterski site within easy reach of the downtown area. Preparations for the event have been in progress for over one year. It will include Slalom, Tricks and Jump for both Men and Women. The participant details will be announced later.
The level of interest in the Waterski World Cup is enormous in China. Over thirty Media Agencies and 45 Journalists attended the recent Press Conference to announce the details. This will also be the largest audience ever to receive a live TV broadcast of such an event and is a major landmark for the Waterski World Cup. The Central China Television live broadcast will take place from 09.00 to 11.30 on Saturday, October 2nd. This will include both the Official Opening Ceremony and the Finals. A 26 minute edited broadcast will be distributed later by the IWSF for all regions of the World. Further Changshu Waterski World Cup Stop details are available on www.2004changshu.com and on www.iwsfworldcup.com.
CONTACT : Des Burke-Kennedy, Media Chairman, International Waterski Federation
Official Towboat Sponsor for 2004 World Cup