World Rowing Video Library Now Open for the U.S.

Here is a press release from FISA that will make rowers in the United States happy…

Rowing enthusiasts in the United States will now be able to access the video library and live race streaming through the World Rowing website. This change has been made possible due to the completion of World Rowing’s partnership with NBC Universal Sports which, up until 31 December 2012, had exclusive media rights to the United States territory. FISA’s move to become more directly connected and to better serve the rowing audience in the United States meant that being able to show live video streaming through the World Rowing website was essential.

“We are pleased to move forward with a new media rights model in the US which opens our live video streaming and extensive video library to all rowers in the United States,” says FISA’s executive director Matt Smith.

United States rowing enthusiasts will be able to take advantage of the new “open” status with the finals at the first Samsung World Rowing Cup for 2013 being available through live streaming on the World Rowing website. The event will take place in Sydney, Australia from 22 – 24 March, 2013. The World Rowing coverage will include the finals live in US prime time on the Saturday night, 23 March (morning in Australia at 10:00 on 24 March) and include interviews with United States crews after racing on the Friday and Saturday. Video access to the United States is part of FISA’s push to add more support and coverage for rowing in the United States and continue to develop links with the university rowing community.

“FISA recognises the unique position of university rowing in the United States,” says Smith, “and making video streaming available is one step towards building a direct relationship with the university rowing community on the World Rowing website.”

International Rowing in the United States is also coming more into focus as a bid to host the 2017 World Rowing Championships has been submitted by Sarasota, Florida. If Sarasota is successful it will be only the second time that the World Rowing Championships would have taken place in the US (Indianapolis in 1994) and in North America since 1999 (St Catharines, Canada). The decision on the 2017 bid will be made at the FISA Congress on 2 September 2013, following this year’s World Rowing Championships in Chungju, Korea.

The video library on the World Rowing website includes footage of the World Rowing Championships dating back to 1991, the World Rowing Cup from 2009 onwards, the European Rowing Championships from 2009 and last year’s Zurich City Sprints.

The link to the video archives is here.