Free Live Coverage and TV Broadcasts

Streaming Video

February, 2010:
Coverage of the 33rd America's Cup will be streamed live, free, over the Internet.  The video will be broadcast on television in several countries.  The United States is not one of those countries.  Here's where to find it:

While the racing will be available online to more fans than ever before, determining which online sources work best under the load of America's Cup fans will be a trial-and-error process as the races begin.

All these web streams should also have replays available after each race if you cannot view live. This may not be accessible immediately after the race since the feeds need to be archived, but replays should be within hours if not sooner.

Our advice: Visit each site NOW, confirm whether you need downloads, subscription, or other updates to your browser before the racing starts, install as needed, and stream some sample video to verify everything at least works before the gun goes off. 

All players listed below have a full-screen mode.  Other options vary.  Best choice will depend on your broadband connection, and server loads at each source.  Some feeds may work better for you on one browser compared to another.  Commentary and other features may vary by feed.  Geographic restrictions may apply to some of these connections.

Live Streaming Video Coverage of the 33rd Defense of the America's Cup:

America's Cup site: America's Cup.com Video Page (Free, medium quality video via browser.  High quality video requires free Rayv player download and install, see preceding link).  Player support and compatibility specifications: See Rayv Player FAQ  

Commentators: Peter Montgomery, multi-hull expert Cam Lewis, and Andy Green.  Preview and Recap shows will be broadcast before and after race days.  This appears to be the highest quality internet feed, and is in full 16:9 format

There is also a version of the medium quality player with the same feed embedded here: 33rd America's Cup YouTube Channel

BMW Oracle Racing: via Livestream, stream begins Monday, 3:00am ET (Free, no download required).  An earlier live "Dock Out" show covers getting underway in the morning, and rebroadcasts of earlier features stream at other times.  There are multiple places to access Livestream, but only the team's own site appears to be dependably showing the live broadcast: BMW Oracle Live Coverage Page at the team's web site. 

The Livestream BMW Oracle Racing Channel and Pop-out Video Window, which carry replays and rebroadcasts, did not consistently carry the live feed during the wait for Race 1 on Monday, so your first stop for racing should be the BMW Oracle site listed above.  The Pop Out Window is easily resized and very handy for viewers trying to multi-task.

These Livestream links all stream from the same source, so likely have equal chance of loading when demand is high.  BMW Oracle hosted about 1500 viewers for a live press conference last week with minimal problems, but more will tune in for the Cup itself. BMW Oracle will stream other content when the live feed is off. Replay should be available soon after each race.

ESPN360: America's Cup Channel at ESPN 360  Stream begins Monday, 3:45am ET (Free, may require plug-in installation, appears to be limited to the US). Commentators: Gary Jobson (Sailing broadcaster and America's Cup winner, 1977), and Randy Smyth (Multi-hull Expert).  Replay should be available after each race.  More success has been reported with Internet Explorer than with Firefox for this feed.  This is a high quality image, appears to be 4:3 format.

Note that not all broadband providers can access ESPN360. Additionally, registering for a free subscription is necessary under some circumstances depending on ISP. Also See ESPN 360 Press Release for more details of this video stream

EuroSport Player: Entry Page  Associated with Yahoo.com, Options vary by country.

In addition to the live options, there are highlights and team videos at the 33rd America's Cup YouTube Channel, Alinghi has a collection of videos at AlinghiTV, and the challenger has their own BMW Oracle Racing YouTube Channel.
 

Broadcast Television:

The television information is based on announcements as they are made, sometimes only days ago, and are subject to change or correction, but we hope this gives you a head start on where to look.

Background:
On January 25, 2010, it was announced that the racing will be made available for free over the Internet. 

The Internet video announcement followed an agreement reportedly reached with the local and national authorities in Spain, regarding shoreside accommodations and other logistics including marketing and broadcasting.  The shoreside partner, Consorcio Valencia 2007, has the responsibility for such arrangements.

A earlier provisional agreement between the competitors and the government of Valencia appeared to be in hand on December 10, 2009, assigning responsibilities for negotiating broadcast rights in the scenario that Valencia hosted the upcoming defense, a possibility that was still being contested at that time.  This agreement was reportedly rejected by the Defender Alinghi in December, and not until late January were relationships solidified. 

For the 2007 America's Cup, the event organizers used the substantial funding provided by the Spanish government and other sponsors to underwrite the television production, and made the video feed available to networks who could add their own commentary and analysis.  Without such a sizable and early source of funding, and owing to the late dates of reaching any agreement at all with local authorities, plus prolonged uncertainty about the match location and dates, the task of securing broadcast partners in various countries faced an extra degree of difficulty.