While Oracle founder Larry Ellison is helping his son David Ellison pursue a $108 billion bid for Warner Bros. Discovery, David’s Paramount is cutting a new deal for another of Larry’s passion projects: His competitive sailing circuit SailGP.
The Hollywood Reporter has learned that CBS Sports and SailGP will announce Wednesday a multiyear renewal for the TV rights to the circuit’s races, which features “high-tech, high-speed 50-foot foiling catamarans at iconic venues around the world,” and teams backed by countries and corporate sponsors.
SailGP was co-founded by Larry Ellison and the world champion yachtsman Sir Russell Coutts in 2018, with Coutts serving as CEO of the venture.
CBS Sports has been the TV home for SailGP since its inaugural season in 2019 (predating David Ellison’s acquisition of Paramount by six years), but the new agreement, which runs through 2027, is the first multiyear deal for the circuit. Terms of the deal were not disclosed, though it will cover more than 50 hours of coverage annually for the Rolex SailGP Championship.
SailGP’s 2026 season will kick off with the Oracle Perth Sail Grand Prix presented by KPMG on Jan. 18, with CBS coverage beginning at 3 p.m. November’s SailGP event, The Race to Abu Dhabi, drew nearly 3.5 million viewers to CBS, which the company says is the most ever for a sailing competition.
Larry Ellison, a competitive sailer himself, sponsored an America’s Cup team through Oracle, and SailGP was meant to bring the excitement of sailing races to an annual season, rather than an occasional novelty.
The new deal gives the circuit more certainty and flexibility as it pursues expansion teams.
“This landmark multiyear extensionwith CBS Sports is a powerful endorsement of SailGP’s continued growth in the U.S. and themomentum of the championship globally,” said Coutts in a statement. “CBS Sports has been an outstanding partner sinceday one, and together we’ve helped bring high-performance racing to millions of new fans. Withrecord audiences to back it up, and more than 50 hours of coverage expected each of the nexttwo seasons, this agreement ensures SailGP will continue to reach mainstream sportsaudiences and showcase one of the world’s fastest-growing sports properties.”
“CBS Sports islooking forward to building on the success of our partnership with SailGP as they continue todeliver world-class events that capture a global audience,” added Dan Weinberg, executive VP of programming for CBS Sports. “We’re thrilled to bring even moreelectrifying, high-speed racing to fans across the U.S.”
The Emirates Dubai Sail Grand Prix in 2024.
Jon Buckle for SailGP
SailGP has been working with investors to acquire some of the country teams and help finance the venture. That includes some celebrity firepower: Last year Hugh Jackman and Ryan Reynolds joined the ownership group of the Bonds Flying Roos, SailGP’s Australian team.
Reynolds and Jackman released a video promoting the team from Maximum Effort, connected to SailGP’s event in Perth this weekend.