By Gary Anderson

January 27 - Universal Sports will broadcast major FINA events in the United States up until 2021 ©Universal Sports NetworkAmerican broadcaster Universal Sports has signed a new multi-year media rights agreement which will see it broadcast the marquee events on the International Aquatics Federation (FINA) calendar across the United States up until 2021.

The new agreement includes the FINA World Championships in Kazan in 2015, Guadalajara 2017, Gwangju 2019 and Budapest 2021.

Cable television network Universal Sports, which is owned by Olympic broadcaster NBC, will have multiplatform rights for the Championships including television and internet rights.

"This long-term commitment from FINA solidifies Universal Sports as the premier destination in the USA for aquatic sports through 2021," said Robert James, Universal Sports' vice-President of programming and acquisitions.

"As future American and international swimming stars rise in prominence, Universal Sports will bring the competition to life with unprecedented, in-depth, primetime coverage delivering hundreds of hours of international aquatics event programming right into the homes and hands of our viewers."

As well as broadcasting action for the World Championships, which encompasses events in men's and women's swimming, diving, water polo, synchronised swimming and open water swimming, the deal also includes other World Championship competitions.

Katie Ledecky will be one of the stars that US swimming fans will be cheering on during the upcoming FINA World Championships ©Getty Images Katie Ledecky will be one of the stars that US swimming fans will be cheering on during the upcoming FINA World Championships ©Getty Images

























Universal Sports will broadcast the World Short Course Championships from Windsor, Canada, in 2016 along with the 2018 and 2020 editions as well as the FINA Synchronised World Cup in Quebec later this year and the 2018 event.

This year's FINA Diving World Cup in Shanghai will also be broadcast by Universal Sports along with the 2016 edition in Rio de Janeiro and the World Cups in 2018 and 2020.

"The success, prestige and exposure of our major events are directly linked with FINA's association with TV networks worldwide," said FINA President Julio C. Maglione.

"The United States is a very important market for FINA and many of our greatest stars come from this country.

"This emphasises the added-value of this agreement with Universal Sports in the US territory; its multiplatform approach is also of paramount importance to highlight the performances of our best athletes to the widest possible audience."

Contact the writer of this story at [email protected]


Related stories
January 2014: Swimwear brand Arena signs "historic" sponsorship deal with FINA
January 2014: FINA renew partnership with Chinese firm Midea
January 2014: Berlin dropped as FINA announces 2014 World Cup schedule
November 2013: Barcelona World Championships breaks FINA records with 4.5 billion total viewers
October 2013: FINA and IEC in Sports announce partnership extension