SailGP joins the ranks of OpenAI, National Women’s Soccer League, Taylor Swift Productions and more
NEW YORK – SailGP, one of the fastest growing global sports and entertainment leagues, has been named to Fast Company’s prestigious list of the World’s Most Innovative Companies of 2024. In its first time entering, SailGP secured a No. 5 ranking in the sports category, recognized as “a racing league that is providing a more exciting (and sustainable) experience for fans.”
This year’s list shines a spotlight on businesses that are shaping industry and culture through their innovations. These organizations are setting new standards and achieving remarkable milestones in all sectors of the economy. Alongside the World’s 50 Most Innovative Companies, Fast Company recognizes 606 organizations across 58 sectors and regions.
Fast Company congratulated SailGP for “bringing sustainability to racing sports, reimagining both coverage and competition to reduce its carbon footprint—just one of this year’s companies whose contributions could transcend sport itself.”
SailGP features high-tech, high-speed 50-foot foiling catamarans that are raced by the world’s best athletes in 10 national teams and broadcast in over 200+ markets (CBS and YouTube in the U.S.). In Season 4, underway now, the global sailing league hosts 13 events at the most iconic waterfront locations around the world – four of which take place in the U.S. including New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Chicago.
SailGP CEO Russell Coutts said: “It’s an incredible achievement to have SailGP honored by such a distinguished media outlet like Fast Company. SailGP has accomplished so much in its first five years and 2024 is set to be our biggest year yet, as we continue to break through to new audiences with our fan friendly, high speed and drama-filled racing.”
While technology and purpose in SailGP’s DNA, it’s surrounded by athleticism, adrenaline and incredible competition. Since its inception in 2019, the league pushes the boundaries of sports technology and sustainability through innovations such as the Impact League – the league’s second podium for the planet that runs alongside the competition on the water – to using technology and augmented reality graphics to make the sport understandable to non-sailing fans via ‘LiveLineFX’, and leading the way in extreme sports production and embedding remote broadcast since its inception.
SailGP competes this weekend in Christchurch for the ITM New Zealand Sail Grand Prix, and then returns to North America to finish Season 4 in Bermuda, May 4-5, followed by the first ever Canada Sail Grand Prix in Halifax on June 1-2. The league then returns to New York City, June 22-23, for the Mubadala New York Sail Grand Prix and finishes in San Francisco for its Season 4 Grand Final showdown, July 13-14.
“Our list of the Most Innovative Companies is both a comprehensive look at the innovation economy and a snapshot of the business trends that defined the year,” said Fast Company editor-in-chief Brendan Vaughan. “We saw extraordinary innovation across the board in 2023, but we also saw a handful of clear patterns: the growing footprint and impact of AI, the triumphant return of live events, and great leaps forward in climate tech. We face daunting challenges on many fronts, but the solutions we celebrate in MIC give me plenty of hope about the future.”
Fast Company’s editors and writers identified the companies driving progress around the world and across industries, evaluating thousands of submissions through a competitive application process. The result is a globe-spanning guide to innovation today, from early-stage startups to some of the most valuable companies in the world. Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies package is available online, as well as in-app form via iTunes, and on newsstands beginning March 26. The hashtag is #FCMostInnovative.
