Courtesy of Universal Sports Network, a SwimSwam partner. (Featured image: Michael Phelps)
FINA and Universal Sports Network established a new, multiyear media rights agreement to air FINA’s marquee events in the United States through 2021. The deal gives Universal Sports multiplatform rights, including exclusive TV and Internet rights, to the upcoming editions of the FINA World Championships: 2015 in Kazan (RUS), 2017 in Guadalajara (MEX), 2019 in Gwangju (KOR) and 2021 in Budapest (HUN).
Encompassing aquatics events in men’s and women’s swimming, diving, water polo, synchronized swimming and open water swimming, the agreement also includes rights to the FINA World Swimming Championships (25m) in 2016 (Windsor, Canada), 2018 and 2020; FINA Diving World Cups in 2014 (Shanghai, China), 2016 (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil), 2018 and 2020; and FINA Synchronized World Cups in 2014 (Quebec City, Canada) and 2018.
“This long-term commitment from FINA solidifies Universal Sports as the premier destination in the USA for aquatic sports through 2021,” said Robert James, Universal Sports’ VP of Programming and Acquisitions. “As future American and International swimming stars rise in prominence, Universal Sports will bring the competition to life with unprecedented, in-depth, primetime coverage delivering hundreds of hours of international aquatics event programming right into the homes and hands of our viewers.”
“The success, prestige and exposure of our major events are directly linked with FINA’s association with TV networks worldwide”, considered FINA President Dr. Julio C. Maglione. “The United States is a very important market for FINA and many of our greatest stars come from this country. This emphasizes the added-value of this agreement with Universal Sports in the US territory; its multiplatform approach is also of paramount importance to highlight the performances of our best athletes to the widest possible audience”.
