SailGP talks a big game in 2030 strategy and viewer targets

F50s under construction at the SailGP Technologies facility in Southampton, UK - July 2026 © SailGP

SailGP has revealed ambitious plans to transform the championship over the next five years, setting out a roadmap that will see the league grow with more teams, more events and a global audience unlike anything sailing has seen before.

The SailGP 2030 strategy marks the next chapter for the championship as it targets becoming one of the world's leading sports and entertainment properties by the end of the decade.

Currently featuring 13 national teams racing across 13 events, the league plans to expand both the number of teams on the start line and the number of annual events in repeat host cities by 2030, bringing even more high-speed racing to fans around the world.

SailGP CEO and co-founder Sir Russell Coutts said the league is now entering a new era after spending its first five years building the foundations of the championship.

"When Larry Ellison and I founded SailGP in 2018, our goal was to redefine the way the sport of sailing is viewed, perceived and experienced: inspiring the next generation through a first-of-its kind championship for the top professional athletes in the sport, competing on equal terms, in the world's most iconic destinations," he said.

"Our first five years were about building strong foundations, creating an exceptional, fan-centric sporting product, testing what works and learning.

"Now we move into a different phase, one that's defined by audience growth, consistency and scale. We have a product that can stand shoulder to shoulder with the world's leading sports championships in terms of its appeal as a sports and entertainment property, and the next five years are about making sure the world's sports fans, cities and brands know it."

F50s under construction at the SailGP Technologies facility in Southampton, UK - July 2026 - photo © SailGP

Founded by Coutts and Oracle founder and Chief Technology Officer Larry Ellison, SailGP has grown into one of the fastest-growing global sports properties, combining cutting-edge technology, close-to-shore stadium racing and national team rivalries in iconic waterfront venues.

The league is now attracting younger audiences around the world, with the 2025 Season watched by a cumulative 215 million dedicated broadcast viewers. By 2030, SailGP is aiming to reach more than 30 million dedicated viewers per event, supported by increased awareness in established markets and expansion into new territories including China, Japan, India, Mexico and South Korea.

S-W NZ: Extrapolating these numbers across the current 13 events in 2030, five years away, the cumulative world audience would be 390 million, an increase of 175 million dedicated broadcast viewers over 2025.

Audience measurement typically splits viewers into two main categories to understand how a broadcast is actually being consumed:

• Dedicated Viewers: People who commit to watching the actual program (e.g., sitting down to watch a 45-minute race on a network like Sky Sports or CBS).

• Secondary Viewers (News Access/Digital): People who see a 15-second highlight reel on the evening news, or scroll past a short recap clip on social media.