SailGP

What SailGP does

SailGP is a London-headquartered professional sailing championship league founded in 2019, operating as a global annual circuit featuring 13 national teams competing in identical F50 foiling catamarans at speeds approaching 100 km/h. The league stages events across more than a dozen countries including the United States, United Kingdom, New Zealand, Australia, Denmark, Canada, Brazil, Italy, Sweden, Spain, France, Switzerland, the United Arab Emirates, and India, with venues generating material local economic impact (e.g., $14 million from the 2024 Halifax inaugural event and over 12,000 tickets sold for the 2026 Halifax event). The core product is the Rolex SailGP Championship, augmented by a platform of commercial modules including Fever digital ticketing (2026-2028), Smarkets sports betting integration (UK, Ireland, Sweden), KPMG-powered digital fan engagement, an Arc Sport electric support-vessel fleet, a Disney+ docuseries produced with Maximum Effort, and the American Magic High Performance Center in Pensacola, Florida (operational September 2026) as the official North American training base. The technology stack centers on standardized F50 hardware, split-fleet racing format, and ongoing safety-system development (airbags, Kevlar straps) following high-profile crashes in Auckland and New York.

The league transitioned in June 2026 from a centrally owned model to a fully privatized structure, with all 13 national teams now majority-owned by third-party investors including MSP Sports Capital (New Zealand Black Foils), American Magic/Doug DeVos (Danish Rockwool Racing, acquired for $60 million in February 2026 — a record franchise valuation), Ares Management, and celebrity co-owners Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman (Australian BONDS Flying Roos). Revenue is generated across five streams: sponsorship (anchor partners Rockwool through 2032, KPMG, Smarkets, Hongqi), broadcast rights (CBS Sports US 2026-2027 multi-year, TSN Canada, Sky NZ, Globo/BandSports Brazil, Bermuda Broadcasting Company), team-stake sales, event ticketing via Fever, and sports betting integration via Smarkets. In 2025, SailGP crossed $200 million in league revenue, a 68% year-over-year increase, and reached approximately 215 million global viewers during the 2024-25 season, including a record 3.469 million U.S. viewers for a November CBS broadcast — the most-watched sailing race in U.S. history. Leadership includes CEO Russell Coutts, Managing Director Andy Thompson, and Australian team CEO/skipper Tom Slingsby, with co-founder Lawrence Ellison (Oracle co-founder) as co-owner.

Name

SailGP

Legal name

SailGP

Website

https://sailgp.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

SailGP is a London-headquartered global professional sailing championship featuring 13 national teams racing F50 foiling catamarans at speeds up to 100 km/h, generating over $200 million in 2025 revenue from sponsorships, broadcast rights, team-stake sales, ticketing, and sports betting across 18+ countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Sports League / Sailing Championship

NAICS

Sports Teams and Clubs (711211), Other Spectator Sports (711219)

SIC

Services-Racing, Including Track Operation (7948)

akta.pro primary industry

Sailing & Water Sports Teams/Clubs (Sailing, Rowing, Surfing) (MPAKABAH)

Keywords

• Professional sailing league
• Global sports championship
• Catamaran racing events
• Sports broadcast rights
• Team ownership stakes

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Team Stake Sales: SailGP sells majority stakes in national teams to third-party investors and strategic partners. The New Zealand team sale to MSP Sports Capital represents a new high valuation for a majority stake. The Denmark team was acquired by American Magic for $60 million.
2. Sponsorship: SailGP generates revenue through sponsorship agreements including title sponsors (Rockwool through 2032), official partners (KPMG as Digital Transformation Partner, Smarkets as Sports Trading Partner, Hongqi as luxury car partner), and ticketing partnerships (Fever).
3. Broadcast Rights: Multi-year television agreements including CBS Sports (US, 2026-2027 with 50+ hours per season), TSN (Canada), Sky (New Zealand), Bermuda Broadcasting Company, and distribution in Brazil (Globo, BandSports).
4. Event Revenue: Revenue from ticketing and event operations, with the 2024 Halifax inaugural event generating $14 million in local economic impact. Over 12,000 tickets sold for Halifax 2026 event.
5. Sports Betting Integration: First official sports trading partnership with Smarkets includes betting integration rights in UK, Ireland, and Sweden, marking SailGP's entry into sports betting markets.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

SailGP operates a global professional sailing championship league featuring 13 national teams competing in identical F50 foiling catamarans capable of speeds exceeding 100 km/h. The league sells broadcast rights, sponsorships, event tickets, and stakes in national teams, hosting races in 13+ countries worldwide and generating over $200 million in annual revenue.

Product overview

SailGP operates as a professional sailing championship with a platform-plus-modules architecture. The core product is the Rolex SailGP Championship featuring 13 national teams racing F50 catamarans at speeds up to 100 km/h. Supporting modules include electric-powered support boat fleets (Arc Sport), the Fever digital ticketing platform, Smarkets betting integration for real-time data, KPMG digital transformation services, and the American Magic High Performance Center for training. Content extensions include Disney+ docuseries produced with Maximum Effort. The league recently transitioned from centrally owned teams to fully private ownership, with all 13 teams now backed by strategic third-party owners.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Rolex SailGP Championship The flagship international sailing championship featuring 13 national teams competing in identical F50 catamarans at speeds up to 100 km/h. Hosted across 13+ countries worldwide and reaching nearly 215 million viewers during the 2024-25 season.
• SailGP U.S. Broadcast Coverage (CBS Sports) Multi-year U.S. television rights package covering the Rolex SailGP Championship with over 50 hours of coverage per season, including 9 broadcast windows positioned opposite NFL programming. Licensed to CBS Sports for the 2026-2027 seasons.
• Fever Ticketing Service Digital-first ticketing technology integrated into SailGP events globally from 2026-2028, providing instant ticket access, personalized recommendations, and seamless booking for event attendees. Over 12,000 tickets sold for Halifax 2026 event.
• SailGP Disney+ Docuseries Documentary series following team owners and elite sailors competing in the championship, produced by Maximum Effort (Ryan Reynolds) and Eureka Productions, streaming exclusively on Disney+ internationally and on Disney+ and Hulu in the U.S.
• American Magic High Performance Center

Quantifiable outcome

• Record viewership of 3.469 million for November SailGP broadcast on CBS - most-watched sailing race in U.S. history
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• ArcminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 31 May 2026Los Angeles-based all-American startup providing Arc Sport electric boat as official electric vessel for US SailGP team at 2026 New York Sail Grand Prix, handling all boat transfers for athletes, personnel, and VIP guests.
• ADIminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 31 March 2026Preston-based sports presentation specialist delivering entertainment and production services at 23 major international sporting events across Q1 2026, including SailGP's 11-month international season.
• SmarketscoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 26 February 2026Prediction market company becomes Official Sports Trading Partner of the Rolex SailGP Championship with integration rights in UK, Ireland, and Sweden under three-year agreement. Also official partner of Emirates Great Britain SailGP Team and Portsmouth event.
• Globo / BandSportsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 26 February 2026Brazil distribution rights retained through renewed deals with Globo and BandSports.
• Bermuda Broadcasting CompanyminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 12 February 2026New broadcast rights partner for 2026 season, exclusive Bermuda broadcaster for live races and on-demand highlights across international circuit.
• Sky New ZealandcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 11 February 2026Official New Zealand broadcast partner for 2026 Rolex SailGP Championship with racing from ITM New Zealand Sail Grand Prix Auckland simulcast live on Three and ThreeNow.
• FevercoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 6 February 2026Global partnership naming Fever as Official Ticketing Partner for 2026-2028 seasons, integrating Fever's digital-first ticketing technology into SailGP events to enhance fan experience through instant ticket access, personalized recommendations, and seamless booking.
• CBS SportscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 14 January 2026Multi-year U.S. television rights extension covering 2026 and 2027 seasons, SailGP's first multi-year U.S. broadcast deal with over 50 hours of coverage per season. Includes November broadcast drawing 3.469 million viewers - most-watched sailing race in U.S. history.
• TSNcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 14 January 2026Canadian broadcaster with new two-year deal including return to Halifax, Nova Scotia.
• KPMGcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 December 2025Global partnership making KPMG the first Official Digital Transformation Partner of SailGP, aiming to enhance fan engagement and digital experiences through data-driven solutions. Builds on existing regional partnership since 2021.
• Hongqi Golden SunflowerminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 30 November 2025Official luxury car partner and trophy car at SailGP Abu Dhabi Final, marking launch of Guoya model's pre-sale in the Middle East. Partnership aims to expand Hongqi's presence in global luxury car market.
• RockwoolcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 27 November 2025Title sponsor of Danish-flagged ROCKWOOL Racing SailGP Team extended through 2032, marking the league's longest-standing team partnership since 2019. Partnership includes active participation in racing and development of Danish foiling talent.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• NASCAR: Established North American racing league with chartered-team ownership model, multi-year broadcast deals, and tiered sponsor inventory. Useful comparable for franchise economics, title sponsorship structures, and risk of niche-sport audience ceilings.
• Formula 1: The benchmark global championship with multi-stop international calendar, team-franchise economics, premium broadcast deals, title sponsors, and tiered sponsorship inventory. SailGP's playbook (privatized teams, F1-like race weekends, technology narrative) is explicitly modeled on F1's commercial architecture.
• Formula E: Global single-seater electric racing championship with city-street races, team-franchise model, and tech-sustainability brand. Comparable commercial structure (team ownership, broadcast, sponsors) and shared electric/ESG narrative with SailGP.
• MotoGP: Premium international motorcycle racing championship with team-owner structure, multi-territory broadcast distribution, and global sponsor base (including title partner). Comparable in international calendar, premium-event format, and star-driven storytelling.

Direct peers

• America's Cup: The premier international sailing championship and SailGP's most direct competitor for top-tier sailing talent, sponsors, broadcast rights, and host venues. Both operate as global sailing championships with high-performance catamarans, national-team formats, and event-driven revenue models.
• World Surf League: Global championship circuit for an action-water sport with similar event-driven economics, broadcast partnerships, and sponsorship-driven revenue. WSL provides a comparable model for monetizing a niche action-sport audience across multiple international stops.
• Extreme E: Sustainability-focused off-road racing series with national-team format, electric vehicle technology narrative, and remote-venue event model. Closely parallels SailGP's combination of sport, technology, and environmental branding.
• The Ocean Race: Global offshore sailing race with stopover format, national-team participation, and major sponsor ecosystem (11th Hour Racing, Ocean Pack). Overlaps with SailGP on sailing audience, host-city economic impact stories, and sustainability positioning.

Emerging players

• UIM E1 World Championship: Electric boat racing series co-founded by Alejandro Agag with team-ownership and event-driven model aimed at premium water-based competition. Most directly comparable to SailGP's electric boat narrative (Arc Sport) and emerging-market sports-league structure.

Regional players

• Vendée Globe: Solo non-stop around-the-world sailing race held every four years out of France. Operates in the same sport but is France-centric and event-cycle-driven (not annual), making it more of a thematic sailing peer than a direct commercial competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/SailGP
• Facebookfacebook.com/SailGP
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sailgp

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds3 records

Investors5 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about SailGP