America's Cup to be shown on China CCTV

Organisers of the 35th America's Cup sailing event have signed a media rights deal in China with CCTV Sports & Entertainment, the wholly-owned subsidiary of state-run CCTV Sports Channel.

The deal, which grants exclusive Chinese rights to America's Cup sailing events to CCTV, will see CCTV broadcast the America's Cup World Series event in Portsmouth, UK, this week, then all other World Series events across 2015 and 2016.

CCTV will also air the America's Cup Qualifiers, Challenger Playoffs, then the America's Cup match itself in Bermuda in June 2017.

"This is a tremendous opportunity for the America’s Cup, our partners and our teams, to demonstrate the excitement of America’s Cup racing to the largest national television audience in the world,” said Harvey Schiller, commercial commissioner of the America’s Cup.

The racing will be broadcast on CCTV5+, China’s free to air sports channel.

The 2015 America’s Cup World Series is the opening stage of the competition for the America’s Cup, and includes racing in Portsmouth, UK (July 2015); Gothenburg, Sweden (August 2015); and Bermuda, the host venue of the America’s Cup (October 2015).