Most Americans think sailing is something rich people do on yachts.
CBS Sports is betting they're dead wrong about that.
And CBS Sports just locked down one surprising sport that could change how Americans watch sailing.
High-speed racing league extends broadcast partnership through 2026
CBS Sports signed a two-year extension keeping SailGP races on its networks through 2026.
The league races F50 catamarans that hit 50-knot speeds on the water.
That's roughly 57 miles per hour for anyone who doesn't speak nautical.
These aren't your grandfather's sailboats gently cruising around the harbor.
The F50s are carbon-fiber flying machines that lift out of the water on foils.
Teams from twelve nations compete in events held across the globe from November through July.
The United States fields a team – American Magic – alongside crews from Great Britain, Australia, New Zealand, Spain, France, Canada, Switzerland, Germany, Denmark, Brazil, and Italy.
CBS picked up American broadcast rights in 2023 after launching its partnership with the league.
Now they're extending that deal to keep races on CBS Sports Network with additional coverage on Paramount+ and Pluto TV.
Network sees opportunity in reimagined sailing competition
SailGP launched in 2019 with a completely different approach than traditional sailing competitions.
The league focused on speed, technology, and made-for-television racing from day one.
CEO Russell Coutts built SailGP around the idea that sailing could attract mainstream sports fans if presented correctly.
That meant ditching the stuffy yacht club atmosphere and embracing modern sports broadcasting.
CBS Sports clearly thinks the strategy is working.
The network isn't just renewing for another season.
They're committing through 2026 with expanded streaming distribution.
Of course, the father of CBS Sports’ new owner David Ellison may have something to do with it.
Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison was in fact one of the visionaries behind SailGP.
For a network fighting to stay relevant as viewers abandon cable, live sports content remains one of the few things people actually watch in real time.
SailGP delivers multiple race weekends throughout the year that fill programming schedules.
The international format also gives Paramount+ subscribers content that works globally, not just in American markets.
Traditional American sports broadcasting focused almost exclusively on football, basketball, and baseball.
Networks are now scrambling to diversify as younger viewers want variety beyond the big three.
Racing technology brings new audience to ancient sport
The real story here is how technology transformed sailing from niche hobby into legitimate spectator sport.
Those F50 catamarans cost millions to build and represent cutting-edge marine engineering.
Teams employ the same kind of data analytics and performance optimization you'd see in Formula 1 racing.
The boats themselves look more like fighter jets than sailboats, with wings instead of traditional sails.
When these machines hit top speed with their hulls completely out of the water, it creates dramatic television.
That's what CBS is really buying with this extension.
They're betting American audiences will watch high-speed racing regardless of whether it happens on land or water.
The sport also delivers something traditional stick-and-ball sports can't match.
Racing takes place in stunning locations from San Francisco Bay to Sydney Harbour to the Mediterranean.
Every race weekend looks like a postcard, which makes for compelling television even if viewers don't understand all the tactics.
CBS is taking a calculated risk that Americans are ready to embrace sailing as mainstream entertainment.
If SailGP succeeds in building a real American audience, this two-year extension will look like a bargain.
If not, CBS hasn't bet the farm on it either.
The league still has a long way to go before it competes with established sports for viewership.
But CBS clearly sees enough potential to keep SailGP in its programming lineup through at least 2026.
Sources:
- Awful Announcing, "SailGP signs two-year media rights extension with CBS Sports," January 14, 2026.
- SailGP Official Website, "Technology and Innovation," accessed January 15, 2026.
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