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Speed, spectacle, and sentiment: what brands can learn from the America’s Cup

Opinion Report

Speed, spectacle, and sentiment: what brands can learn from the America’s Cup

The 2024 America’s Cup sparked global excitement - but also frustration. This report unpacks what 65,000+ online comments revealed about the fan experience, from broadcast issues and team pride to the tension between tradition and tech.

Published on
May 22, 2025
Sence Opinion Analysis Highlights
Free-to-air coverage of the America’s Cup sparked global commentary, with quality issues and commentary tone drawing criticism.
Team mentions drove high engagement, with Emirates Team New Zealand leading positive sentiment among loyal supporters.
Tech advancements stirred mixed reactions, with many comparing the Cup to Formula 1 and SailGP formats.

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This report uncovers the online conversations around the 2024 America’s Cup. From coverage frustrations to team pride and tech tensions, audience sentiment revealed what mattered most. Emirates Team New Zealand’s win drew strong support, while lagging streams and local commentary raised concerns. We also tracked how sailing fans viewed the event in relation to other sports and personalities, offering key lessons for how brands can navigate legacy, innovation, and public trust.

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65k+ social media conversations
250+ brands mentioned
50+ key themes driving the conversation
4 key lessons for brands

Highlights: Top teams mentioned

Emirates Team New Zealand led with strong positivity and steady visibility. INEOS Britannia peaked during their Louis Vuitton Cup run but drew mixed sentiment, admired for resilience, yet criticized by some fans. Luna Rossa saw passionate spikes in conversation, driven by dramatic race moments, national pride, and technical frustrations.

Emirates Team New Zealand

14.8% share of voice.

Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli Team

9.6% share of voice.

INEOS Britannia

8% share of voice.

Highlights: Top athletes mentioned

Leaders on and off the water shaped the emotional tone of the conversation. Peter Burling became a symbol of national pride, while Ben Ainslie’s hot mic moment drew backlash. Jimmy Spithill divided opinion, and Grant Dalton faced strong criticism over hosting decisions. These figures show how sentiment often follows personality as much as performance.

Ben Ainslie

An unguarded moment where he was overheard swearing at a commentator drove conversation and public sentiment.

Peter Burling

The Kiwi skipper received overwhelming support, embodying national pride.

Jimmy Spithill

As the skipper of Luna Rossa, audiences were more mixed, particularly among New Zealand audiences.

Key Theme #1

Broadcast quality issues

While this year’s America’s Cup reached new heights in global accessibility, audience sentiment revealed cracks in the broadcast experience. Viewers cited lagging streams, missing performance metrics like VMG, and commentary that felt too Kiwi-centric, highlighting a disconnect between reach and quality.

What the fans are saying:

Despite high expectations for this year’s expanded coverage, fans were quick to point out technical flaws and tone issues. For many, the experience felt disjointed, with some left asking where and when to watch, while others were frustrated by perceived bias or spoilers.

“Can you by any chance tell me what time to watch it on TV in New Zealand? I keep missing the races. Thanks.”
“So how come we missed out on the considered possibly best race ever in the America’s Cup? The feed stopped just as the race was about to start! 😕”
“The commentary is so biased towards the losing team it makes you wonder what yacht race they are watching.”

A large part of the broadcast conversation centered on fans’ frustration over the VMG metric not being shown on television.

"Still not displaying VMG on TV"
“What has happened to getting VMG on the coverage? Seems to be non existent this time??”

Comparison of top broadcast brands

Streaming platforms played a crucial role in the America’s Cup experience. While YouTube was praised for accessibility, ESPN faced criticism for lacking sailing-specific insight. New Zealand channels such Stuff sparked mixed reactions, particularly from Kiwi viewers navigating time zone and quality frustrations.

ESPN

Recognised for broader sports coverage but criticised for a lack of sailing-specific expertise.

YouTube

Valued for its accessibility, the sentiment was mostly neutral, with most commenters highlighting that this platform offered the easiest way to access the broadcast.

Stuff NZ

New Zealand-based channels received mixed feedback. The majority of conversations were around where to watch the broadcast, hence the large proportion of neutral comments.

Key Theme #2

Technology vs. tradition

As cutting-edge designs pushed boat speeds to new heights, many long-time fans questioned what was lost in the process. While some marvelled at the spectacle, others expressed frustration that traditional seamanship and the spirit of classic yacht racing were being replaced by machines that “fly more than they sail.”

What the fans are saying

While some praised the beauty and speed of the boats, others longed for the older days of manual skill and closer competition. Over time, the tone shifted, suggesting that early reactions came from sailing purists, while later sentiment reflected a wider, less tradition-bound audience.

“As a sailor, the advancementa in technology are amazing to me, and not possible without competition. Hats off to all teams willing to keep pushing the limits. Congrats NZ. Well played.”
“Excellent raceing in 20knt wind and doing 51knt boat speed is incredible 97km/ph”
“Americas Cup has gone the same way as Formula 1. High tech has made the sport boring to watch. America's Cup is no longer a skill of 'sailing', but one of 'flying the foils'. Bring back the true sailing boats and the return of fascinating scenes of crews managing their spinnakers in all wind conditions. :(“
”It’s NOT sailing as such, it’s flying a boat. Get rid of all the fancy add on’s and go back to what sailing is all about.”

Comparison with other sports

Fans compared the America’s Cup to Formula 1 and SailGP. F1 drew negative sentiment for being too predictable and overly technical. SailGP, in contrast, was praised for its excitement and accessibility. The America’s Cup sat between the two – admired for tradition but facing scrutiny for its evolving format and loss of relatability.

F1

Fans drew parallels with F1’s high-tech nature but expressed concerns about sailing following a similar path. With F1 being very predictable over the last decade, with just 3 drivers taking out the Championship in this time period.

SailGP

Audiences view this racing style more favourably than the current America’s Cup format.

America's Cup

Fans called it predictable, with engineering ultimately being the key determinant of the champion.

Sence Check

Checks to elevate your engagement strategy

Are you mapping content to audience context or broadcasting one-size-fits-all?
Test whether different segments see themselves in your messages -look for language, timing or channel mismatches in the comment threads.
Have you framed innovation as an invitation rather than an intrusion?
Audit your tone to ensure new products, features or ideas feel like enhancements to existing experiences, not replacements of what your community values.
Does your distribution strategy balance global scale with local nuance?
review feedback on timing, language and platform-specific quirks to spot where broad reach undermines relevance.
Are you measuring true engagement or just eyeballs?
Go beyond view counts - track sentiment shifts, repeat commenters and the depth of questions asked to gauge if fans feel heard and involved.

The America’s Cup 2024 brought global reach and historic wins. But, the comment threads told a more layered story. While fans celebrated team victories, they also surfaced tensions around access, commentary tone, and the growing gap between tradition and technology.
This shows that engagement isn’t only measured by viewership, but also whether fans feel seen, heard, and understood.

Sources
1News - Facebook, YouTube
EmiratesTeamNZ - Facebook, YouTube
Louis Vuitton 37th America's Cup Barcelona - Facebook, YouTube
nzherald.co.nz - Facebook, YouTube
RNZ - Facebook, YouTube
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