NBC Sports Inks Rights Deal for 2017 World Rowing Championships

NBC Sports Group and the World Rowing Federation, FISA, have partnered on an exclusive U.S. media rights agreement for the 2017 World Rowing Championships. NBC Sports Group will present more than 10 hours of coverage of the 2017 World Rowing Championships, from Sarasota-Bradenton, Fla., beginning Thursday, September 28. The World Rowing Championship regatta, held at the end of the season, is the biggest annual World Rowing event of the year. 

“The opportunity to stage our premier event, the World Rowing Championships, in the United States is a huge benefit for our sport as we see the ongoing growth of rowing in the nation,” says Jean-Christophe Rolland, FISA president. “This partnership with NBC Sports Group recognizes the demand for rowing coverage in the US and World Rowing completely supports the initiative.”

“Rowing fans can cheer in unison now that we are presenting one of the sports’ premier events, and our most extensive coverage since the 2016 Rio Olympics,” says Jim Bell, President, NBC Olympics Production and Programming. “As an Olympic sport since the 1900 Summer Games in Paris, we are always thrilled to showcase the stamina, strength and harmony that these world class athletes display every time they race.”

Headlining the U.S. team will be the women’s eight, which is looking to win its twelfth-straight world or Olympic title. The Americans’ flagship boat has won every major event since 2006, most recently claiming Olympic gold last summer in Rio. The U.S. roster will be confirmed later this summer. In addition, coverage includes the para-rowing finals on Thursday.

NBC Sports anticipates utilizing NBCSN, The Olympic Channel: Home of Team USA, NBCSports.com, the NBC Sports app and possibly other platforms to provide more comprehensive U.S. coverage of the numerous events included in the agreement. In addition to television, coverage will include simultaneous streams on desktops, mobile devices, tablets, and connected TVs.

All rowing events will be presented by the Olympic Channel: Home of Team USA, part of a comprehensive content and distribution partnership formed in 2016 by the IOC, USOC, and NBCUniversal. The centerpiece of the partnership is a U.S. linear cable channel, which will launch this summer.