World Surf League extends broadcast partnership with Foxtel and Kayo

The World Surf League has announced a significant expansion of its broadcasting partnership with the prominent Australian pay-TV network, Foxtel.

The entirety of the 2024 WSL season, taking place intermittently from January 29 to September 14, will be broadcast on Foxtel’s sports channels. Additionally, the Kayo Sports streaming service, owned by Foxtel, will also carry the live coverage of the season.

This deal also encompasses the WSL’s Challenger Series, where surfers vie for a coveted spot on the WSL tour, and the Bells Beach Longboard Classic event. Both of these events will be available for streaming on Kayo Sports, with the possibility of Foxtel linear coverage subject to scheduling considerations.

The expanded broadcast agreement also offers viewers shoulder content, ancillary programming and event highlights through Kayo Sports. This move aims to enhance the overall viewer experience and engagement with WSL content.

“[The Foxtel agreement] a mutually beneficial partnership, and WSL is grateful for the cross-promotional opportunities it offers our athletes and events, as well as the hours of live action provided for our fans in Australia of events all around the world,” said Andrew Stark, WSL President for the Asia-Pacific region.

“We can’t wait to take it to the next level in 2024 and thank the team at Foxtel Group for the ongoing support.”

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Read more: https://t.co/OYU2yoyLtQ#surfing #worldsurfleague #wslapac #sportstech

— Ministry of Sport (@ministryofsport) December 12, 2023

Foxtel has been a longstanding broadcast partner for the WSL, with this latest agreement marking the 16th year of their collaboration. The ongoing commitment from Foxtel underscores its dedication to delivering premium sports content – and iconic, Australia-centric events – to its audience.

The WSL Championship Tour features two events in Australia on its schedule: at Bells Beach, Victoria (March 26-April 5) and Margaret River, WA (April 11-21).

The men’s CT includes Aussies Ethan Ewing and Jack Robinson – who both finished in the top five in 2023 – as well as Ryan Callinan, Connor O’Leary, Liam O’Brien, Callum Robson and Jacob Wilcox.

The women’s CT’s Australian contingent consists of multiple world championship winners Stephanie Gilmore and Tyler Wright, two-time runner-up Sally Fitzgibbons, 2023 breakout star Molly Picklum, and up-and-comers India Robinson and Isabella Nichols.

The World Surf League announcement follows a series of sports partnerships for Foxtel. In December 2023, the broadcaster secured exclusive multi-year rights extensions for cricket coverage in England, India and South Africa. These agreements cover top-tier national team cricket, including the Australian national team’s Test, One Day International (ODI) and Twenty20 (T20I) tours in India and South Africa.

Image credit: surfglassy