Apple, WSL Add Watch Data to 2026 Surf Broadcasts
NXTbets Pro | Published On: June 24, 2026
Apple Watch broadcasts
Apple and the World Surf League have expanded their sponsorship agreement, and the deal now moves the Apple Watch partnership into a new phase. The league now describes Apple as its official wearable technology partner and part of its official mobile phone designation. The relationship began in 2023 and is now in its third year, but the next step is the most visible one. Beginning with the 2026 season, the league will add data from athlete-worn Apple Watches to live broadcasts. The feed will include distance traveled on a wave, wave speed and heart rate. That gives viewers a closer look at what surfers are doing on the water in real time. The watches also already serve a competitive purpose on the Championship Tour. Surfers use them to see live heat scores, running clock information, lead changes and priority updates without looking away from the ocean. Apple has also pushed the relationship with a promotional video that spotlights the watch product in the surfing environment, underlining how central the device has become to the league’s presentation of the sport.
Apple Watch competition
The Apple Watch has become a normal part of Championship Tour competition, and that status follows a rollout period that tested both the device and the athletes wearing it. At one early event at Pipe, Championship Tour surfer Leo Fioravanti said his watch did not function properly. Some athletes also faced fines for not wearing the device during the rollout period. That rough start did not stop the league from building the watches into the competition structure. The devices have been described as successful in part because they are unobtrusive during events, which matters in a sport where athletes need to stay focused on the ocean, the conditions and the heat around them. Ryan Crosby said the league can now clean, store and warehouse the watch data for broadcast use, which opens the door for the new live presentation planned for 2026. Crosby also said the watches give surfers real-time offshore information that can help them understand priority, required scores and other details when conditions are difficult. That mix of competitive function and broadcast utility has turned the watch from a sideline tool into a fixture of the tour.
iPhone content
Apple and the World Surf League are also extending the partnership beyond the watch data. The agreement includes content production using iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max models, and the phones will be used to capture social and broadcast footage for the league. That adds another layer to a deal that already ties Apple hardware to both competition and coverage. The league has leaned on the Apple Watch to give surfers quick access to score updates and heat information, and now it plans to bring the same technology into the broadcast product itself. The move gives the WSL a cleaner path to package athlete data for viewers and provides Apple with a visible role across live competition, social content and league media. The expanded deal also shows how the watch has moved from a new piece of gear to a regular part of the Championship Tour setup. What started as a partnership in 2023 now includes live data, content production and a broader official designation for Apple inside the league structure.
