EBU, World Aquatics Extend Media Rights to 2032
The renewed partnership covers 23 EBU Members across television, digital and social platforms for six years.
Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Swimming
The European Broadcasting Union and World Aquatics have extended their media rights partnership through 2032, covering 23 EBU Members across linear television, digital platforms and social media. The agreement was secured with the support of SPORTFIVE, World Aquatics' international media rights agency.
Why it matters
The deal locks in broadcast coverage of major aquatics events across multiple disciplines for a six-year period. It gives European audiences continued access to World Aquatics competitions from 2027 onward.
The agreement spans six years and covers 23 EBU Members, including broadcasters such as RTSH in Albania, ORF in Austria and BNT in Bulgaria. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
The players
European Broadcasting Union (EBU)
The EBU is an alliance of public service media organizations across Europe that negotiates broadcast rights for major sporting events.
World Aquatics
World Aquatics is the international federation governing aquatic sports including swimming, diving, water polo and artistic swimming.
SPORTFIVE
SPORTFIVE is World Aquatics' international media rights agency that supported the negotiation of the renewed agreement.
The details
The partnership covers World Aquatics Championships in 2027, 2029 and 2031, the 25m Swimming Championships in 2028, 2030 and 2032, and all World Cup competitions across Swimming, Artistic Swimming, Diving, High Diving, Open Water Swimming and Water Polo.
Timeline
2027 to 2032: Renewed media rights coverage period
26 June to 18 July 2027: World Aquatics Championships in Budapest
6-7 November 2026: Open Water Swimming World Cup leg in Cancún
1-6 December 2026: World Aquatics Swimming Championships (25m) in Beijing
Roadmap
The renewal extends an established relationship between the EBU and World Aquatics into a new multi-year cycle covering two championship formats. It reflects the continued reliance of international federations on pan-European public broadcasters to secure coverage across television and digital platforms.
Viewers across the 23 EBU Member territories will be able to follow World Aquatics championships and World Cup events on linear television and digital platforms through 2032. The deal spans both the long-course and short-course championship cycles.
The takeaway
Fans across Europe should expect World Aquatics events to remain broadly available on public broadcasters through 2032, across both championship formats and the World Cup calendar.
What happens next
The Open Water Swimming World Cup season-opening leg in Cancún takes place on 6-7 November 2026, followed by the Beijing short-course championships from 1-6 December 2026.
Further reading
Explore more Swimming coverage for context on the championships and World Cup circuit covered by this agreement.
