SailGP is entering a new phase of growth, aiming to consolidate its business model and achieve sustained profitability in the coming years. The international sailing competition, founded in 2019 with six teams and five Grand Prix events, currently features thirteen boats and generates more than $200 million in annual business. Having completed the sale of all its teams to external investors, the organization is preparing a five-year strategy that aims to expand its international presence and strengthen its position within the sports industry.
The expansion plan targets 2030, when SailGP aims to have twenty teams and establish itself among the world’s leading sports competitions. Andrew Thompson, the league’s managing director, told Palco23 that external ownership of the teams had been part of the original plans, although the organization decided to retain greater control during its first seasons. Now, with all thirteen franchises in investors’ hands, the focus is on aligning the commercial interests of the competition and its participants to drive sustainable growth.
SailGP seeks to consolidate its business model and expand its teams
The sale of all franchises marks a significant change in SailGP’s structure. The latest transaction, involving MSP Sports Capital and the New Zealand SailGP Team, completed the transfer of all teams to external investors. According to Thompson, the competition had envisioned this scenario from the beginning, but the need to exercise greater control during its first seasons led to a temporary change in strategy. With a more consolidated structure, the league aims to help owners and managers develop commercial projects capable of creating value for both their teams and the competition as a whole.
The next stage includes the addition of a fourteenth team and the possibility of introducing new franchises at a rate of one per season, provided market conditions allow it. The goal is to reach twenty boats by 2030, although expansion will depend on each team’s ability to develop a viable business model. Thompson argues that the relationship between the league and its investors must be built on shared interests, with incentives that encourage growth for both parties. To achieve this, SailGP intends to strengthen the commercial and operational safeguards that will allow teams to grow both on and off the water without compromising the stability of the competition.
Asia and the Americas emerge as priority markets for SailGP’s international expansion
SailGP’s five-year strategy also includes expanding its geographical footprint. The competition has received expressions of interest from several countries looking to introduce teams or host Grand Prix events, although Thompson has stressed that growth must be gradual. Hong Kong and Rome will join the calendar in 2027, while the league is exploring new opportunities in China, India, South Korea and Japan. Mexico is also seen as a promising market, both for adding a franchise and hosting an event in Cabo. Asia, Central America and South America are among the priority regions, alongside North America and the consolidation of existing venues on the circuit, such as Valencia.
Geographical expansion is linked to another of SailGP’s challenges: broadening its fan base beyond traditional sailing audiences. Thompson highlights that the competition’s format aims to bring the sport closer to new audiences and make it easier for more people to understand and follow the races. The 2025 figures reflect the project’s growing reach, with 112,000 spectators attending its Grand Prix events and a global audience of 215 million viewers, alongside an average of 18 million viewers per race. The event in Rio de Janeiro also helped quadruple television viewership in Brazil this year. Building on these figures, the league aims to maintain annual business growth of 25%, improve the consistency of its events and control costs. Although sustained profitability has not yet been achieved, Thompson expects it to arrive in the coming years and has ruled out setting a deadline that could restrict expansion opportunities.
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