At the end of last year, at the World Yacht Racing Forum in Estoril, we asked key people representing the rights holders of the largest brands in sailing a series of questions. Richard Worth had only recently been appointed as Chairman of the America’s Cup Event Authority, and the vision was wide ranging. We caught up with Richard at the America’s Cup World Series event in Plymouth to see how his answers have changed.
Richard Worth – ACEA – Part 1
Some quotes from the Interview
Who is the audience?
That is developing almost in ways that we are not really sure about. Is our audience the guys on the internet, who are totally connected to what we are doing? Is it those guys on traditional television who are casually interested? Is it the people who would casually come out and stand on Plymouth Hoe and watch some racing and probably go home and forget all about it, but say I had a great experience?
In the end, we are trying to satisfy as many of those different groups as possible. That’s our focus group.
On business models
We hope that the appeal of the America’s Cup World Series is building interest so that sponsors will be attracted, broadcasters will be attracted, the general public will be attracted and that helps with the business model of the teams becoming easier.
Teams will share in the surplus of the event, provided there is one. But we are at the start of the cycle and we are investing to accumulate later. Whether the surplus will be enormous, even or non-existent is yet to be proven.
There is a long term game here – it’s not about what happens in the next 2 years – it is about what happens in the next 10 or 15. If an event or sports property is created that has a longevity that we know can be marketable, I think that’s another way of looking at what’s the surplus that we will share in.
Part Two tomorrow…
