The year was 1992. And that was the last time that America’s Cup aired on Network TV. Its 20 years later and finally it will be on-air once again.

NBC Sports Network to air America's Cup

September of 2013, the first two races of the sailing’s marquee regatta on San Francisco Bay will be broadcasted by NBC. A new deal has been made which includes the following clauses: Three broadcasts this year from the America’s Cup World Series and the rest of the races will be shown on cable on NBC Sports Network.

Of course the gap of 20 years has brought a few changes to the event. The course of the race will be shorter than it used to be and also will be closer to the shoreline, unlike before that head out miles into the sea. Also this time, the race will be on wing-sailed catamarans and not plodding sloops.

Russell Coutts who was undefeated in three of the America Cup’s final, held the captain position at the time. In the year 2010, he was titled with the CEO of Oracle Racing. He said:

“It’s fantastic because it’s obviously mainstream TV and a lot of people are going to see the racing as a result. Frankly, I think it’s the best TV result for sailing, certainly in my experience with the America’s Cup. This is going to be great for sailing and really, really good for the America’s Cup.”

The only thing that is becoming a concern for the air is the weather. Wind changes, wind delays, too much wind or too little of it, shifts in wind direction etc, all play a crucial role for the broadcast to go smooth. There is more unexpectedness than certainty and that can cause turbulence in the system. This is the reason that they changed to catamarans. Catamarans are able to sail in a variety of different directions and ranges. Also the cutting of race times are done so that they can coordinate perfectly with the tv schedules.

The regatta ends on August 26. Each boat will have 14 microphones and there is a new system that converts graphics into live shots from helicopters. The dates of the broadcast is scheduled to be show on July 1, which is the last day of the America’s Cup, August 26 and then October 7th.

Fans can now stretch out on their couch and watch their old beloved sport and not have to crouch in front of the computer streaming the event anymore.

Tags: America’s Cup, NBC, NBC Sports Network, Sailing, Sport, Sports