SailGP has renewed its Australian broadcast partnerships with Foxtel Group and SBS, extending the sport’s free-to-air and subscription footprint into the 2026 season after another record-breaking year for global viewership.
The renewal follows a milestone 2025 season that delivered almost 215 million dedicated viewers worldwide, with average audiences of 18 million per event, reinforcing SailGP’s growing appeal as one of the world’s fastest-scaling sports properties.
A milestone season drives renewal
The league notched two single-event audience records last year, first with 21.2 million viewers for the KPMG Australia Sail Grand Prix in February, then surpassing that figure with 23 million viewers tuning in for the DP World Spain Sail Grand Prix in October.
Those numbers helped underpin the decision to extend the Australian broadcast deals, with SailGP pointing to the importance of broad access across both subscription and free-to-air platforms.
‘Of paramount importance’
SailGP’s Global Head of Broadcast & Media Rights David Gillett said securing continuity for Australian viewers was central to the renewal.
“We’re thrilled to build on the success of last season by extending both of our hugely important Australian broadcast partnerships,” Gillett said.
“Ensuring continued and comprehensive access for our Australian viewers for Season 6 was of paramount importance to us.”
He pointed to a buoyant year ahead, with two Australian events for the first time and growing local interest around the BONDS Flying Roos.
“This year promises to be a huge one for SailGP in Australia, with two races for the first time – including a sell-out to start the year in Perth – and, of course, some well-publicised new owners of the BONDS Flying Roos,” Gillett said.
Foxtel and SBS double down
For Foxtel Group, the renewal marks a continuation of a six-year partnership built on audience growth and premium coverage across Kayo SPORTS.
“Our partnership with SailGP has gone from strength to strength over the past six years, driven by a shared vision to bring Australian audiences closer to the action of the sports they love,” said Foxtel Group Head of Content Acquisitions Marissa Banu-Lawrence.
“Together, we’ve grown SailGP’s presence in Australia, connecting audiences closely to the speed, skill, and spectacle of the Championship through our coverage on Kayo SPORTS.”
SBS Director of Sport Ken Shipp said SailGP would remain a key pillar of the broadcaster’s international sport offering, with expanded live coverage in 2026.
“SailGP is one of the most exciting and innovative sports competitions on the global calendar, and we’re pleased to confirm it will remain part of SBS’s premium international sport offering for the next two years,” Shipp said.
“SBS will expand its coverage with live and free broadcasts from Perth and Sydney on SBS and SBS On Demand, alongside highlights from all thirteen rounds.”
A bigger season on the water
The 2026 championship shapes as SailGP’s largest yet, with a 13-round calendar and the addition of Sweden’s Artemis SailGP Team as the competition’s 13th team.
The season begins this weekend in Perth with the sold-out Oracle Perth Sail Grand Prix, before returning to Sydney Harbour for a record seventh visit at the KPMG Sydney Sail Grand Prix on February 28 and March 1.