The International Canoe Federation announced that coverage of the event will be aired on a month-long national television run on Fox Sports Net beginning May 4, airing on 14 regional sports networks throughout the Southeast through Jalbert Productions and reaching an estimated 100 million viewers
“It’s a huge reach,” says NOC CEO Sutton Bacon. “This event was an important victory for freestyle kayaking, USA Canoe/Kayak and western North Carolina. We proved that freestyle competition can be as spectator-friendly as figure skating or snowboarding, and that Western North Carolina has the natural resources and organizational strength to host world-class athletic events.”
The hour-long broadcast includes footage and interviews with kayaking’s biggest stars, including Dane Jackson, Eric Jackson, Claire O’Hara, Peter Csonka, James Bebbington, Jez Jezz and more, all on hand with 178 athletes from 30 different countries to compete on the sport’s biggest stage. The event also drew 30,000 spectators to the Swain County competition site and garnered over 50,000 viewers on its live stream, making it “the biggest freestyle event ever held” according to Lluis Rabaneda Caselles, Chairman of the ICF Freestyle Committee.
No one’s more pleased with the coverage than the athletes and organizers. “We hope this broadcast motivates viewers to participate in paddling,” says NOC marketing director Charles Conner. “We know that the world’s top paddlers will impress anyone who sees it. Freestyle kayaking, and whitewater paddling in general, provides accessible, healthy, human-powered recreational activities in beautiful river environments.”
Broadcast schedules of the event vary according to regional sports network coverage areas, so viewers are advised to check local listings. Visit www.noc.com for a full set of national and regional listings. After the event’s initial run on Fox Sports Net National the event will enter syndication on regional television broadcasts.
Listings for Southeastern Regional Networks:
Fox Sports South (Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee)
Monday, May 5 @ 8am
Wednesday, May 14 @ 3pm
Sunday May 18 @ 12:30pm
Sunday, May 18 @ 6pm
Thursday, May 29 @3pm
Fox Sports Florida (Florida, Southwestern Alabama)
Tuesday, May 6 @ 4pm
Saturday, May 10 @ 8am
Thursday, May 15 @ 3pm
Saturday, May 17 @ 3pm
Monday, May 19 @ 9am
(visit noc.com for four additional May dates)
Mid-Atlantic Sports Network2 (Washington D.C., Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Delaware, West Virginia)
Sunday, May 4 @ 12pm
Monday, May 5 @ 8am
Thursday, May 8 @ 3pm
Sunday, May 11 @ 12pm
Tuesday, May 12 @ 8am
Video trailer! <a href="” target=”_blank”>HERE!