ESPN+ to stream WSL’s 2024 Championship Tour

Disney-owned sports entertainment leader, ESPN, has landed the streaming rights to the World Surf League’s 2024 Championship Tour season in the US.

Source: ESPN

ESPN’s sports streaming arm, ESPN+, will show all ten WSL Championship Tour competitions and the US Open of Surfing for both the men’s and women’s divisions.

In the deal, WSL original programming, Inside Pro Surfing, will also appear on the US cable network’s channel — ESPN2 throughout the year.

The competitive surfing competition is scheduled to take place from January 29 – February 10.

“Working with ESPN this season is a fantastic opportunity to bring the sport to more viewers and new audiences across different platforms in the United States,” said Cherie Cohen, WSL chief revenue officer. “They are the biggest name in sports content in the USA, and this agreement offers us the opportunity to share surfing with the millions of subscribers across their digital properties as well as on linear television.

ESPN vice president of programming and acquisitions, Tim Reed, added: “Distributing the WSL CT live events rights on ESPN+ provides our audiences full access to the premier surf tour, where the top men and women will compete for the championship crown at legendary surf spots all over the world. The WSL CT is a great addition to the platform and live competitive surfing will fit well alongside an already significant content offering. We look forward to kicking off the season in Hawaii next week.”