Canoe Racing NZ has signed up to the ground-breaking Sky Sport Next Initiative which will act as a huge boost for the sport’s domestic exposure.
More than 50 national sports organisations and rights-holders have come together to form the New Zealand Sport Collective.
Together, they will be part of Sky Sport Next, a platform in which New Zealanders will get free access to watch more than 50 different sports and thousands of events, many of which would not have otherwise been livestreamed or made their way to a leading platform.
The events will be streamed, and highlights packages available on the Sky Sport Next YouTube channel and some content broadcast on Sky Sport, Sky’s sport streaming service Sky Sport Now, and Sky’s free-to-air channel Prime.
Kick-starting canoe racing’s coverage on Saturday November 30 is the Vaikobi King and Queen of the Harbour, which will be the inaugural canoe racing to be livestreamed as part of the service.
Next February 14-16, the New Zealand Canoe Sprint Championships in Lake Karapiro will be visible on Sky Sports Next. Other to be determined events will also feature.
Canoe Racing NZ CEO Tom Ashley said: “We are excited to enter into this partnership with Sky. This is a great opportunity to show Kiwis the different facets of our sport – we plan to cover a range of events, from schools racing (details tba) to sprint, to ocean ski competitions. The partnership fits perfectly as one element of our new engagement strategy – exposure through Sky will inspire Kiwis to paddle, and tell inspiring stories about our people.”
Former Olympic rowing champion and ex-American’s Cup sailor Rob Waddell led the New Zealand Sport Collective and said: “On behalf of the New Zealand Sport Collective, we are thrilled to be working with Sky on Sky Sport Next.
“The scale of our collaboration is unprecedented, and many sports that previously had little in the way of funding and exposure will now be seen on New Zealand’s most prominent sports broadcaster.
“Together we want to inspire more Kiwis to play sport, and work with sports codes to reduce the barriers for young people to participate. It’s an exciting era for New Zealand sport.”
Sky Chief Executive Martin Stewart says: “As the Home of Sport in New Zealand, we’re about the whole game, which means all levels of sport – from grassroots to the elite. We’re keen to support all the sports that New Zealanders love to play and watch.
“We understand the importance of a sustainable future for New Zealand sport and are proud to be investing more than $10 million over the next three years to give over 50 Kiwi sports a chance to be seen and to grow.
“Sky Sport Next is a tangible way we can give back to our communities and support sports and talent that don’t currently get a lot of exposure.
“When Rob approached me with the NZ Sport Collective, after hearing about our efforts in the grassroots sports space, we jumped at the chance to be part of such a ground-breaking initiative.
“We look forward to working together and making a game-changing impact on the New Zealand sporting community.”
For further information, visit https://www.sky.co.nz/sky-sport-next
