Airdate: ASP World Tour

Fuel TV is claiming it will deliver a world first by televising all 11 events on the ASP World Tour Live in 2012.

Never in the history of the Tour has a broadcaster been able to make the claim of showing every event Live on television until now. In a major breakthrough for both Fuel TV and the ASP, subscribers will now be able to follow the entire tour from start to finish.

Fuel TV first aired live surfing at the Rip Curl Search Portugal in 2009 and since then has delivered live coverage of 19 ASP World Tour events reaching more than 1.1 million viewers.

Adam Howarth, Fuel TV channel manager Australia, said the new broadcast deal will provide the sport with unprecedented exposure and open surfing up to a whole new audience.

“Fuel TV is thrilled to be able to offer every ASP Word Tour event in 2012 live to our devoted surfing fans. This is a massive deal for the channel and will be instrumental in raising the profile of surfing in Australia.

“When we first put live surfing to air in 2009, there was an obvious thirst for the sport and our viewers weren’t going to be happy until they received the entire tour live. To now offer every event live, only three years down the track, demonstrates our commitment to surfing and to our subscribers,” Mr Howarth said.

ASP Executive Chairman, Richard Grellman said the relationship with Fuel TV was fundamental to the development of surfing in Australia.

“This is a landmark year for the ASP and one we have been working towards for a long time. To be able to provide surfing fans, through Fuel TV, every event of the tour live will dramatically increase the exposure of this amazing sport,” Mr Grellman said.
Fernando Figueiredo, Fuel TV channel manager, Europe, Middle East & Africa, said the impact of the deal will be felt not just in Australia but around the world.

“This is a massive deal for all surfing fans around the world. By tapping into our satellite signal we are able to showcase these insane athletes to a global television audience in countries such as Portugal, France, Brazil, South Africa and many more.
“In the past two years Fuel TV in Europe has brought surfing to more than 3.5 million households. The sport is growing and we are thrilled to be able to deliver more live surfing to fans around the world,” Mr Figueiredo said.

Fuel TV’s Exclusively Live coverage of the ASP World Tour kicks off this Saturday (February 25) at the season opening event, the Quiksilver Pro.

Coverage will begin each day with The Morning Show at 8.30am AEDT and continue through to the conclusion of the competition.

Eleven time world champion Kelly Slater (USA) will return to Snapper Rocks to defend his title and begin his quest for a once unthinkable 12th world crown.

Slater is the only international athlete to have won the Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast with Aussies dominating the local event. Holding five of the top 10 rankings, Australia will once again be well represented in the field with the likes of World No. 2 Joel Parkinson, 2010 Quiksilver Pro Gold Coast champion Taj Burrow and young gun Owen Wright all likely to push Slater for the title.

Fuel TV will provide Live coverage of the entire 2012 ASP World Tour:

Quiksilver Pro, Gold Coast: Feb 25 – Mar 7
Rip Curl Pro, Bells Beach: Apr 3 – Apr 14
Billabong Rio Pro, Brazil: May 9 – May 20
Volcom Fiji Pro, Fiji: Jun 3 – Jun 15
Billabong Pro, Jeffreys Bay: Jul 11 – Jul 21
Billabong Pro, Teahupoo: Aug 17 – Aug 28
Hurley Pro, Trestles: Sep 17 – Sep 23
Quiksilver Pro, France: Sep 28 – Oct 8
Rip Curl Pro, Portugal: Oct 10 – Oct 21
O’Neill Cold Water Classic, Santa Cruz: Nov 3 – Nov 13
Billabong Pipe Masters, Hawaii: Dec 9 – Dec 21