Turner Sports’ Bleacher Report Live Reaches Comprehensive Partnership with World Surf League
B/R Live to Distribute Live Coverage Including Inaugural Founders’ Cup of Surfing, May 5-6;
Becomes Official Destination for WSL Video On Demand Content, Replays & Highlights
Turner Ignite Sports Also Partners with WSL for Sponsorship Opportunities
Bleacher Report Live – Turner Sports’ new premium sports streaming platform – has reached a wide-ranging partnership with World Surf League (WSL) to distribute live coverage of elite surfing competitions, while becoming the official destination for championship-caliber video on demand content, replays and highlights for the league. As part of the agreement, beginning this season, Turner Ignite Sports will also partner with WSL to sell sponsorship opportunities.
The new partnership – showcasing the world’s best professional surfing events – will begin with the inaugural Founders’ Cup of Surfing presented by Michelob ULTRA Pure Gold, May 5-6. B/R Live will offer 12 hours of live Founders’ Cup coverage at the WSL Surf Ranch, in which five teams representing USA, Brazil, Australia, Europe and a World Team will compete over the two-day specialty event held in Lemoore, Calif.
The Founders’ Cup of Surfing will feature men and women competing alongside one another in the team format – a first for WSL events – that will add a new dimension to surfing competitions. The teams will be made up of three men and two women from each region and the five-person teams will compete against one another. B/R Live will also live stream additional WSL events throughout the 2018 season.
“World Surf League has an established community of very passionate fans and B/R Live will serve as a destination for those seeking direct access to these exciting competitions that showcase the best surfers in the world,” said Hania Poole, Vice President and General Manager, B/R Live. “From live event competitions to on-demand content and a deep collection of video highlights, we’re looking forward to creating the best experience for fans to discover this premium content on B/R Live.”
“It’s an exciting time for surfing and the World Surf League as the sport’s popularity and interest continues to grow,” said Sophie Goldschmidt, WSL Chief Executive Officer. “Our new B/R Live partnership is evidence of this and we are thrilled to offer sports fans another way to enjoy incredible WSL surfing action live and on demand.”
WSL joins the growing portfolio of live sports events that will be available directly through B/R Live including UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League, NBA League Pass games, 65 NCAA Championships, PGA Championship, National Lacrosse League, The Spring League, World Arm Wrestling League and more. B/R Live is currently available on iOS, Android and the Web.
About Turner Sports
Turner Sports, a division of Turner, is an industry leader in the delivery of premium sports content across all multimedia screens. Turner Sports’ television coverage includes the NBA, Major League Baseball, NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship, ELEAGUE and professional golf, along with the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League beginning in Summer 2018. The company also manages some of the most popular sports destinations across digital and social platforms including Bleacher Report and its top-rated app, NCAA.com and the critically-acclaimed NCAA March Madness Live suite of products, PGA.com and the Sports Emmy Award-winning PGA Championship LIVE, as well as an accompanying collection of mobile sites and connected device apps. Turner Sports and the NBA jointly manage NBA Digital, a robust collection of offerings including NBA TV, NBA.com, NBA LEAGUE PASS, the NBA App and NBAGLEAGUE.com. Turner Sports recently launched B/R Live, a premium live streaming sports platform that serves as the central hub for both the discovery and consumption of live sports content. The new streaming service allows fans to find and watch their favorite sports content anywhere, anytime and on the screen of their choice.
Visit the Turner Sports online press room for additional press materials; follow Turner Sports on Twitter at @TurnerSportsPR
About World Surf League
The World Surf League (WSL) is dedicated to celebrating the world’s best surfing on the world’s best waves through a variety of best-in-class audience platforms. The League, headquartered in Santa Monica, is a global sport with regional offices in Australasia, Africa, North America, South America, Hawaii, Japan and Europe. The WSL has been championing the world's best surfing since 1976, annually running in excess of 180 global events across the Men's and Women's Championship Tours, the Big Wave Tour, Qualifying Series, Junior and Longboard Championships, as well as the WSL Big Wave Awards. The League possesses a deep appreciation for the sport's rich heritage while promoting progression, innovation and performance at the highest levels, and in doing so crowns the undisputed world champions in Men’s, Women’s across all divisions within the tour.
The WSL has a passionate global fan base with millions tuning in to see world-class athletes like Tyler Wright, John John Florence, Paige Alms, Kai Lenny, Taylor Jensen, Honolua Blomfield, Mick Fanning, Stephanie Gilmore, Kelly Slater, Carissa Moore, Gabriel Medina, Courtney Conlogue and more battle on the most unpredictable and dynamic field of play of any sport in the world.
For more information, please visit WorldSurfLeague.com
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