America's Cup World Series steps up promotional and marketing activity

The chairman of America’s Cup marketing arm is switching roles to become its head of world series development, allowing him to focus efforts exclusively on finding new America's Cup World Series venues and generating increased broadcast revenues from the burgeoning growth of America’s Cup competitive sailing.

The America’s Cup Event Authority announced today that Richard Worth will become the head of America’s Cup World Series Development and spearhead what is becoming one of the most important efforts to grow the sport of sailing and the America’s Cup, bringing the race to new and old fans alike through television and the internet.

“I am excited about the opportunity to focus my efforts and help America’s Cup sailing to reach new audiences and advertisers,” Worth said.  “The 34^th America’s Cup and the Louis Vuitton Cup are established sporting properties but occur only every three or four years.  Our challenge is to develop the World Series into a fantastic asset and this is the key to future growth of the sport internationally.”

In the interim, the CEO’s role will be filled by Stephen Barclay, a Board Member of the America’s Cup Event Authority.

With the television product now largely developed, the focus turns to developing the AC World Series as a sporting property, and as a result, Gary Lovejoy (Director of Media Production) will revert to a consultancy role before leaving the Event Authority in September. Stephen Barclay notes “the TV pictures are a real achievement of this edition of the America’s Cup. Finally, the sport of sailing looks like a sport when watched on TV and Gary has been the person who has led this development.  We thank him for his enormous contribution”.

Denis Harvey will take on more responsibility in his role as Production Executive of America’s Cup Television as the Event Authority moves into the final three events of the inaugural America’s Cup World Series season. “This is an exciting time for capturing and distributing this racing to viewers and I am excited to participate in the effort,” said Harvey.

The next generation images that are capturing the world are enabled through high-definition cameras and microphones on each boat, bringing the live action directly to race fans watching online and on television. In addition, viewers are able to clearly see who's leading a race through a helicopter shot that incorporates augmented reality, the LiveLine graphics system created by the same team that developed the yellow first-down line in American football telecasts.

The AC World Series Naples will be broadcast in the U.S. by Comcast SportsNet and in Europe by Sky Sports, Viasat, Canal+ and a main stream Italian broadcaster, amongst others, starting April 11, 2012. The AC World Series will be sailed in the AC45 wing-sailed catamarans.

The NBC Sports Group also will broadcast live, over-the-air races from the Louis Vuitton Cup and the America’s Cup Final between July 4 to September 22, 2013. The America’s Cup events of 2013 will be sailed in the next generation America’ s Cup boat, the AC72, more than double the size of an AC45 with its 131-foot mast.