LOS ANGELES, Calif., USA (Wednesday, January 24, 2024) - Today, the World Surf League (WSL) and ESPN announced a new rights agreement in the United States for the 2024 Championship Tour (CT) season.
All ten WSL Championship Tour (CT) competitions, as well as the US Open of Surfing Challenger Series event, will be streamed live on ESPN+. As part of the agreement, 11 episodes of WSL: Inside Pro Surfing, an all-access deep dive into the Championship Tour and its character-driven storylines, will appear on ESPN2 throughout the year.
"Working with ESPN this season is a fantastic opportunity to bring the sport to more viewers and new audiences across different platforms in the United States," said Cherie Cohen, WSL Chief Revenue Officer. "They are the biggest name in sports content in the USA, and this agreement offers us the opportunity to share surfing with the millions of subscribers across their digital properties as well as on linear television."
"We are thrilled to showcase the 2024 WSL Championship Tour across ESPN platforms," said Tim Reed, ESPN vice president of programming and acquisitions. "Distributing the CT live events rights on ESPN+ provides our audiences full access to the premier surf tour, where the top men and women will compete for the championship crown at legendary surf spots all over the world. The WSL CT is a great addition to the platform and live competitive surfing will fit well alongside an already significant content offering. We look forward to kicking off the season in Hawaii next week."
ESPN+ will be the co-exclusive streaming platform in the United States for the Quarterfinals, Semifinals, and Finals of WSL competitions. Fans watching in the United States can also watch LIVE on WorldSurfLeague.com, and the free WSL app.
All WSL content, including full live events, will remain available for free, in full, on WorldSurfLeague.com and the WSL family of apps across iOS, Android, Apple TV, Samsung TV, Roku and FireTV.
The 2024 WSL Championship Tour season starts on January 29, 2024 with the Lexus Pipe Pro Presented by YETI. Fans can watch all the action LIVE on WorldSurfLeague.com and the free WSL app, as well as on ESPN+. For fans watching in the United States, coverage of the competition's Quarterfinals and beyond will continue on WorldSurfLeague.com and ESPN+.
For more information, please visit WorldSurfLeague.com.
Press Contacts ESPN: danny.c.chi@espn.com WSL: press@worldsurfleague.com
About ESPN ESPN, the world's leading multiplatform sports entertainment brand, features eight U.S. television networks, the leading sports app, direct-to-consumer ESPN+, leading social and digital platforms, ESPN.com, ESPN Audio, endeavors on every continent around the world, and more. ESPN is 80 percent owned by ABC, Inc. (an indirect subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company) and 20 percent by Hearst.
About ESPN+ ESPN+ is the No. 1 sports streaming platform, serving fans in the U.S. with exclusive access to more than 32,000 live sports events each year, an unmatched library of on-demand replays and acclaimed original content, and premium written articles by the top reporters and analysts from ESPN.com. Fans sign up to ESPN+ for just $10.99 a month (or $109.99 per year) at ESPN.com, ESPNplus.com or in the ESPN App on mobile and connected devices. For more visit the ESPN+ Press Kit.
About the WSL The World Surf League (WSL) is the global home of competitive surfing, crowning World Champions since 1976 and showcasing the world's best surfing. The WSL oversees surfing's global competitive landscape and sets the standard for elite performance in the most dynamic playing field in all of sports. With a firm commitment to its values, the WSL prioritizes the protection of the ocean, equality, and the sport's rich heritage, while championing progression and innovation.
For more information, please visit WorldSurfLeague.com.