The international governing body for Olympic rowing, World Rowing, announced a multi-year broadcasting rights agreement with the Portuguese public broadcaster Rádio e Televisão de Portugal. The partnership aims to strengthen the international visibility of rowing in a European market with a strong maritime and sporting tradition, while supporting the sport’s growing media expansion on the road to the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.

The agreement comes at a key moment for the sport, marked by the growth of coastal rowing and the development of the beach sprint format, a discipline that has gained prominence within the international calendar. In this context, Portugal emerges as a strategic territory, both for its historic connection to rowing and for its role in hosting major events, including the upcoming World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals 2027, scheduled to take place in the country.

A television boost for Olympic rowing

Starting in 2026, coverage by RTP will include some of the main competitions on the international calendar, such as the World Rowing Championships, the world finals of beach sprint rowing, and the European Rowing Championships. The agreement will allow Portuguese audiences to follow these events through live broadcasts, highlights programming and editorial content designed to bring the sport closer to new audiences.

The strategy seeks to provide sustained media presence for rowing in Portugal, combining the tradition of classic rowing with the growth of coastal disciplines. For World Rowing, this type of partnership with public broadcasters has become a key tool for consolidating the sport’s international reach and strengthening the connection between major events and the local communities that support the sport.

Portugal, a strategic stage for beach sprint rowing

The agreement also takes on special significance with the hosting in Portugal of the World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals 2027, an event that will help consolidate the discipline ahead of its Olympic debut in Los Angeles. Broadcasting these competitions will allow national and international audiences to discover a discipline that combines speed, technique and demanding maritime conditions, reinforcing the country’s coastal identity.

From RTP, its sports director Miguel Barroso emphasized that rowing is part of Portuguese sporting culture, deeply linked to its maritime heritage. For the executive, broadcasting World Rowing’s most emblematic events represents an opportunity to connect audiences with an evolving Olympic discipline and to give greater visibility to Portuguese athletes who have recently achieved notable success in beach sprint rowing.

Meanwhile, World Rowing’s Director of Broadcasting and Marketing, Christian Osterode, highlighted that the partnership will allow the sport to be presented with continuity in an important European market. The television platform, he explained, will help expand rowing’s media presence across different disciplines, while strengthening the international positioning of its events and athletes on the path toward the next Olympic cycle.