SailGP, often referred to as the “Formula 1 of sailing,” has announced Rolex as its first title partner for its elite sailboat racing series. Starting with the 2025 season, which kicks off in Dubai on Saturday, the competition will be renamed the “Rolex SailGP Championship.”
“We’re entering an exciting phase of growth as we approach our fifth season,” said SailGP CEO Russell Coutts. “This partnership will propel us into our next stage of expansion and solidify our status as the leading global sailing championship.”
Rolex has been associated with SailGP since its inaugural season in 2019 and will now serve as title sponsor and official timekeeper for the next decade, through 2034.
The championship features 12 national teams from countries like the U.S., Italy, and Germany, competing on identical 50-foot foiling catamarans that can reach speeds of nearly 60 mph. Teams vie for a $7 million grand prize.
Founded with a centralized ownership model, SailGP has steadily moved toward private team ownership. For the upcoming season, 10 of the 12 teams will be privately owned, with future teams expected to follow this model. Prominent investors such as co-founder and Oracle Chairman Larry Ellison and Avenue Capital Group Chairman Marc Lasry have supported the league. In 2023, Lasry’s Avenue Sports Fund led a $35 million acquisition of the U.S. team.
SailGP’s popularity has attracted major sponsors, including Red Bull, Emirates, Mubadala, Rockwool, and Deutsche Bank. According to Lasry, “Sailing has outpaced other leagues in growth over the past three years.”
The league’s viewership has surged, with last season’s Spain Sail Grand Prix drawing 1.78 million viewers in the U.S. on CBS. Global broadcasts now reach 212 territories, and viewership grew 48% year over year to an average of 200 million viewers across 13 race events in Season 4. For the upcoming season, new broadcast deals in Germany, Italy, Brazil, and Spain aim to further expand its audience.
Coutts highlighted SailGP’s efforts to attract younger fans while maintaining its appeal to the traditionally affluent sailing demographic. “Our digital content, social media engagement, and new teams in markets like Italy and Brazil have demonstrated the potential to engage a new generation of racing enthusiasts,” he said.
Leave a Reply