America's Cup 2021: Last-minute race cancellation forces broadcasters to plan B

Ineos Team UK pulled off a remarkable victory during in a Prada Cup round robin. Photo / Brett Phibbs

Interruptions to the racing during the Prada Cup have forced broadcasters to act quickly to plug gaps left in their programming schedules.

TVNZ tells the Herald it was only informed at 8pm on Saturday night that there would be no Sunday racing with Ineos Team UK preferring to conserve its boat for the later stages.

This decision came after the Ineos won against Luna Rossa, rendering the final heat race redundant.

This meant the TVNZ had to act quickly to ensure that viewers had alternative content to watch during the hours allocated to the event.

"We have plans in place for all scenarios so once race decisions were made we actioned our plans and updated schedules with replacement content," a spokeswoman from TVNZ told the Herald.

There were also implications for advertisers who had secured coveted slots around the broadcaster's sailing coverage.

Asked whether advertisers would be given rebates, TVNZ said this wouldn't be required because it would still be able to meet its obligations by offering other placements within big race days or around alternative content.

"Advertisers will be delivered in full the outcomes they have invested in," TVNZ said.

The spokeswoman added that sponsors were well aware that things could change quite quickly.

"Our sponsors all understand the fluid nature of the Prada America's Cup racing, our sponsorship packages have been designed with this in mind. Despite schedule changes, we are able to fully deliver on all sponsorship arrangements."

Television wasn't the only coverage affected by the unexpected change to programming.

NZME radio broadcaster Gold AM also had to quickly adapt its coverage given the unexpected circumstances.

NZME head of talk Jason Winstanley pointed out that it isn't that unusual for sporting schedules to change.

"It's the nature of many sports events that changes to schedules, due to weather, for instance, can occur at any time. Think of a test match in cricket that gets rained off - it happens," he said.

"All America's Cup events guarantee plenty of twists and turns and this event is definitely living up to that reputation. The American Magic capsize, the impacts on race schedules, the incredible turnaround in the fortunes of Ineos Team UK, not to mention the actual racing, are all delivering the sense of drama you'd expect from any America's Cup."

Winstanley said sports broadcasters are adept at switching discussions as the news evolves.

"Everyone knows that the nature of round-robin competitions is that you can end up with dead-rubbers, so we have always been fully prepared for days with racing scheduled - when no racing actually takes place," Winstanley said.

"Of course we want to broadcast more sailing - not less. But there's plenty more racing to come."

Winstanley wouldn't comment on the impact the changes had on advertising partnerships.

It's been a tough 12 months for broadcasters and sponsors of major sporting events, with widespread cancellations interrupting coverage and changing schedules.

Question marks currently hang over whether the next major event for 2021, the postponed Tokyo Olympics, will go ahead as planned.

Reports earlier month suggested a decision had been made to cancel the event, but the Japanese Government and International Olympic Committee has denied this as the case.

Should the event indeed be cancelled it would cause further headaches for broadcasters who have invested significantly in securing the rights to air the coverage.