EBU and FISA renew partnership

For immediate release
Lausanne, 29 September 2016

The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and the World Rowing Federation (FISA), have agreed on a four-year renewal of all European media rights from 2017-2020 for rowing’s premier world and European events.

This agreement includes the World Rowing Championships in 2017, 2018 and 2019, the annual World Rowing Cup series and the European Rowing Championships. The 2019 World Rowing Championships will serve as qualification event for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The opening event of the renewed agreement will be the first regatta of the 2017 World Rowing Cup series from 5–7 May in Belgrade, Serbia.

“Our relationship with the EBU started in the early 1980s and it has been a long and increasingly successful one,” says FISA President Jean-Christophe Rolland. “We have all seen and experienced the fast-moving developments that are influencing the televising and distribution of sports events, and I remain confident that by staying with public service network broadcasters, our sport is in excellent and professional hands. The coverage and promotion of rowing has continued to build through the EBU membership and its various platforms. I look forward to a highly collaborative and productive relationship with the EBU and its members through to 2020.”

“Rowing is one of the few sports to have been part of the Olympic Games since the start and thanks to FISA it has evolved to bring its excitement to viewers worldwide,” says Julien Ternisien, Head of Sports Rights – Summer Sports. “That FISA has once again entrusted the EBU and its members with giving rowing’s marquee events the free-to-air exposure they deserve tells of a thriving partnership that will continue to grow in strength.”

About FISA

FISA, “Fédération Internationale des Sociétés d’Aviron” in French, or the English equivalent, the World Rowing Federation, is the governing body of the sport of rowing. It is empowered by its 150 member National Rowing Federations, the National Olympic Committees and the International Olympic Committee to develop, promote, present and govern the sport of rowing worldwide.

FISA sets the rules and regulations for the practice of the sport, in all its forms (including elite, indoor, para, coastal, university and masters), and organises sanctioned World Rowing events. It also provides advice and expertise for the organisation of rowing regattas, on coaching education and other matters relating to the sport and its development.

More on: http://www.worldrowing.com, @WorldRowing 

About the European Broadcasting Union (EBU)

The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) is the world’s foremost alliance of public service media (PSM). Our mission is to make PSM indispensable. We have 73 Members in 56 countries in Europe, and an additional 33 Associates in Asia, Africa and the Americas.

Our Members operate nearly 2,000 television and radio channels together with numerous online platforms. Together, they reach audiences of more than one billion people around the world, broadcasting in more than 120 languages.

The EBU’s Sports Rights portfolio is extensively working with more than 25 international sports federations and handling more than 30 contracts. This represents around 150 events including approximately 680 competition days which they may also produce and distribute.

In 2015, the Eurovision worldwide network distributed more than 90,000 hours of footage; 75.000 hours of it were sports

www.ebu.ch and http://www.eurovision.com @EBU_Eurovision #ebu #eurovision