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ESPN has signed a U.S. rights agreement with the World Surf League that will include all 10 WSL Championship Tour events and the U.S. Open of Surfing Challenger Series event streaming on ESPN+.
The first of those contests, the Lexus Pipe Pro Presented by YETI, runs Jan. 29 to Feb. 10 in Oahu. The Championship Tour makes stops in Portugal, Australia, El Salvador and Brazil. In May, it heads to Teahupoʻo in Tahiti, the site of the Paris Olympics contest in July.
ESPN2 will also air 11 episodes of WSL: Inside Pro Surfing throughout the year.
“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," said Tim Reed, ESPN VP/Programming & Acquisitions. "The WSL CT is a great addition to the platform and live competitive surfing will fit well alongside an already significant content offering.”
WSL extended broadcast deals with Seven Network and Foxtel Group in Australia, GLOBO in Brazil and Eurosport.
