Andrew Thompson, SailGP Managing Director: ‘Welcome to F1 on Water’ (Ep81)

It’s a different take this week; welcome to Formula 1 on water! SailGP has become one of the fastest growing sports leagues, bringing sailing to the forefront of modern entertainment. The national teams that race identical F50 Catamarans go to some of the world’s most enticing coastal locations in a Grand Prix style format with millions in prize money on the line. The franchises are valued between $50m+ and owners include major PE and finance as well as consortiums of celebrities including Kylian Mbappe, Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman and Anne Hathaway.

As Managing Director, Andrew is in charge of the global water show as it continues to develop its product and fan base. But how do you successfully build and establish a new sporting product that delivers both the entertainment factor while proving financially sustainable? We talk about the competitiveness of the modern attention economy; the race is on (literally) to capture that audience and develop a new type of sailing fan. If you haven’t seen what SailGP is about, I highly recommend you take a look. Let’s see what it’s all about.

On today’s show we discuss: 

Building SailGP Into a Global Sport

• How Larry Ellison and Sir Russell Coutts created a commercially sustainable sailing league from scratch
• Why SailGP is designed like “Formula One on water” with national teams racing identical high-tech F50 catamarans
• The governance issues in the America’s Cup that inspired a new model
• Why centralising boat design, technology, and costs levels the playing field and attracts investors

Ownership, Investment & Growth

• How franchise values have grown from cost-covering investments to $50M+ assets
• What makes the ideal SailGP owner and why passion for sailing matters
• The role of celebrity investors like Kylian Mbappé and the importance of authentic involvement
• The future expansion plan, from Italy and Brazil to potential markets like China, Japan, and Mexico

The Business Model & Financial Sustainability

• How SailGP’s cost cap protects teams while encouraging investment in marketing and fan engagement
• Breaking even in professional sport: how top teams generate $8–9M in revenue
• Key revenue streams: sponsorship, branding on boats, hospitality, merchandise, and ticketing
• Why data sharing between teams improves competition and performance

Fans, Media & the Attention Economy

• How SailGP is attracting younger fans through TikTok and YouTube
• Why 70% of Auckland event attendees had never been on a sailing boat
• The league’s broadcast strategy and challenges in monetising media rights
• Plans for behind-the-scenes content to rival Drive to Survive
• The long-term vision for 20+ national teams and global fan bases

A huge thank you to our amazing partners on the show:

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