SEVEN signs new broadcast deal for World Surf League Championship Tour

The Seven Network is continuing to build its library of sports content by signing a new broadcast deal with The World Surf League (WSL) .

The new deal, which is understood to be for one season will see Seven broadcast WSL programming including live contests and highlights shows on 7Mate and streaming platform 7plus.

Seven’s coverage of WSL content will begin with the WSL Noosa Longboard World Tour event and continue into the Qualifying Series and then Challenger Series events in Sydney and New Zealand on 7plus.

All 12 stops of the elite Championship Tour will also be live on 7plus, beginning with the Corona Open Gold Coast in March and climaxing in Hawaii with the Hawaii Pro and Billabong Pipeline Masters in December.

In addition to live events, 2020 will also see Seven launch a dedicated program, World Surf News Weekly on 7Mate, which will feature event recaps, a pre-season preview show, weekly newsreels, and athlete profiles.

Managing Director Seven Melbourne and Head of Network Sport, Lewis Martin, said;

“We’re thrilled to be showcasing the WSL on Seven. Surfing is one of Australia’s favourite sports, and 2020 is a marquee year for the sport, with its debut in the Olympics in Tokyo. As the home of Australia’s most-loved sports and Tokyo 2020, we’re delighted to be bringing the WSL to Australian audiences.”

WSL Asia Pacific General Manager, Andrew Stark, added;

“With the introduction of the WSL Challenger Series and WSL Big Wave At Large, and a new exotic location on the Championship Tour, not to mention the Olympics — this will be the most exciting year in surfing, and we couldn’t be happier to have Seven onboard as a key partner for the ride.

As Australia’s most iconic sporting broadcaster and an organisation with a passion for surfing, Seven are the perfect partner to bring our sport to the masses in a country that already has saltwater in its DNA.”

The first WSL event to be broadcast live on 7plus, the WSL Noosa Longboard Open, will run from February 22 – 25. The first WSL Challenger Series event, the Sydney Surf Pro, will commence on March 8. The elite Championship Tour will kick off at the Corona Open Gold Coast on March 26.