SailGP and T-Mobile leverage 5G to improve fan and athlete experiences

USA SailGP Team helmed by Jimmy Spithill sail past spectators at Navy Pier on Race Day 1 of the T-Mobile United States Sail Grand Prix | Chicago at Navy Pier, Season 3, in Chicago, Illinois, USA © Bob Martin for SailGP

SailGP, one of the world's fastest growing sport leagues, has announced an expanded collaboration with T-Mobile for Business for Seasons 4 and 5 spanning 2023 through 2025. SailGP will leverage a 5G Hybrid Mobile Network from T-Mobile's 5G Advanced Network Solutions (5G ANS) portfolio to further elevate fan experience with innovative, immersive views of live race action and provide SailGP athletes advanced on-water performance analysis.

Thanks to the secure, ultra reliable, low-latency 5G connectivity from T-Mobile's 5G Hybrid Mobile Network, SailGP fans and athletes are already benefiting: For fans, T-Mobile's 5G Advanced Network Solutions technology is now powering new action cameras mounted on SailGP's 10 F50s — 50-foot flying catamarans that race at speeds upwards of 60 mph — that provide live POV broadcast feeds to help bring fans into the on-board action from the athlete's point of view.

Here's how it works: All SailGP's F50s are now 5G-connected and feature POV cameras that are used to stream live, high-definition video from each F50 to SailGP's London broadcast studio. These wireless cameras are embedded with 5G modules, making them ideal for mounting where needed on the F50s, and can utilize AI to track athlete movement, ensuring that every moment of action is captured.

"We're constantly pushing the boundaries of what 5G can do for consumers and businesses," said Callie Field, president, T-Mobile Business Group. "Delivering fast and reliable analytics along with immersive viewing experiences in a tough offshore environment is a literal game changer."

5G is also enabling another breakthrough for athletes. During last month's Oracle Los Angeles Sail Grand Prix, SailGP strategists on board carried 5G-equipped handsets that provide live race data to help them make key tactical decisions in real time — all while flying over the water at highway speeds with nine other F50 catamarans in close proximity.

"SailGP and T-Mobile for Business are committed to pushing the boundaries on innovative ways to bring fans into the middle of the action through on-board, live camera views," said Warren Jones, SailGP's chief technology officer. "Plus, our athletes can now access real-time data, which further accelerates the decision-making capabilities for our 10 national teams."

Across the SailGP F50 fleet, 125 sensors are mounted on each F50, sending 300,000 data points every second through T-Mobile's 5G routers, resulting in 48 billion data points in just one race day. "Our F50 catamarans are essentially massive Internet of Things (IoT) devices that also provide incredible entertainment for fans whether they're in person or watching from around the world," said Jones.

As the official 5G partner for SailGP events in the United States, T-Mobile for Business will be prominently featured at each of the four U.S. events in 2023/24's Season 4, including next summer's Mubadala New York Sail Grand Prix in June 2024, and the SailGP Season 4 Grand Final in San Francisco in July 2024. Additionally, T-Mobile for Business continues as the official 5G partner of the United States SailGP Team.

In the 12-event Season 4 global calendar, SailGP is headed next to Saint-Tropez for the France Sail Grand Prix on September 9 - 10. U.S. fans can watch live on the SailGP YouTube channel, and on CBS Sports Network live Saturday, Sept 9, 7:30 a.m. - 9 a.m. ET, and via tape delay Sunday, Sept. 10, 5:30 p.m. - 7 p.m. ET.