Bt Sport & BBC Secure America’s Cup Rights

05 May 2015 | sigadmin

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BT Sport and the BBC have agreed broadcast deals to air the America’s Cup in the UK, with BT Sport to show live coverage, while BBC will broadcast free-to-air highlights.

The BT Sport deal covers all live stages of the 2015-16 America’s Cup World Series events, as well as the 2017 finals events of the international yacht racing series.

Coverage begins with the America’s Cup World Series first-stage event in Portsmouth on 25th and 26th July 2015.

The BBC has acquired free-to-air highlights rights for the America’s Cup and the broadcaster will carry highlights programming of both the Cup Finals in 2017 and the World Series event in Portsmouth this summer.

Harvey Schiller, the commercial commissioner of the America’s Cup, said: “Our partnership with BT Sport as our live coverage broadcaster and the BBC for highlights programming, means we have an opportunity to reach millions of sailing fans in the UK and Ireland and engage them in the new America’s Cup, which is more dynamic, athletic and spectacular than ever before. Fans have a choice of watching the live programming or they can catch highlight shows on the BBC. It’s a powerful combination.”

Simon Green, head of BT Sport, said: “The essence of the America’s Cup is the racing on the water and with exclusively live coverage of all the live stages across all of the BT Sport platforms, viewers will share in the full story from the first races in Portsmouth this summer through to the America’s Cup finals in Bermuda in June 2017.”

Barbara Slater, BBC Sport director, added: “We’ve followed Sir Ben Ainslie throughout his brilliant Olympic career and covered his remarkable contribution to the dramatic America’s Cup climax two years ago, so we’re delighted to bring the latest chapter in his career to a wide audience of existing fans and newcomers.”