“Extraordinary milestone”: SailGP viewership sets new US record

Image courtesy of SailGP

　　SailGP has reported record US viewership for its The Race to Abu Dhabi broadcast on 23 November 2025, which attracted 3.47m viewers, according to media insights firm Nielsen.

　　This marks the highest audience recorded for a SailGP broadcast in the US and the most-watched sailing race in the country’s history, exceeding the 3.27m figure set by the 1992 America’s Cup on ABC.

　　Sir Russell Coutts, co-founder and CEO of SailGP, says: “Setting this new US viewership record is an extraordinary milestone for SailGP and a testament to the momentum this league has built both in the United States and around the world. Reaching more than 3.4m viewers on a national broadcast network underscores what we’ve believed from day one — that high-octane, nation-vs-nation racing has mainstream appeal.”

　　“As we head into the Grand Final in Abu Dhabi, we’re excited to see so many new fans joining us and can’t wait to further showcase more fantastic racing in what’s proving to be our most successful and competitive season yet.”

　　SailGP has attracted interest from A-list names in recent years, including Hollywood icon Anne Hathaway — who has invested in the Red Bull Italy SailGP team — and French football superstar Kylian Mbappé, who has invested in the France SailGP Team.

　　The broadcast provides an overview of the season, featuring athletes competing across four continents for a $2m prize. It also includes footage of the US SailGP Team reaching the podium in Dubai, Rockwool Denmark setting a SailGP speed record, crashes and equipment failures, and interviews with event winners and members of the US SailGP Team.

　　The Mubadala Abu Dhabi Sail Grand Prix 2025 Season Grand Final, presented by Abu Dhabi Sports Council, is scheduled for 29–30 November and consists of two days of 12-boat fleet races. An event winner will then be named before season points determine the three teams that progress to the Grand Final, which is a single race in which the first team across the line secures the title and a $2m prize purse.

　　The leading national teams are Emirates Great Britain, the Black Foils (New Zealand) and the Bonds Flying Roos (Australia). Los Gallos (Spain), last year’s champion, remains in contention.

　　The Rolex SailGP Championship, co-founded by Larry Ellison and Sir Russell Coutts in 2018, is an annual international series held in major cities. 　　Teams compete in identical 50ft foiling catamarans that can exceed 60 miles per hour. CBS Sports has broadcast the championship in the US since 2019 and is showing 54 hours of coverage this season. Its final broadcast will be a grand final results programme on 27 December 2025 from 3pm to 4pm ET.