Paddle Australia together with the International Canoe Federation (ICF) is proud to announce Nine as the official broadcast partner for the highly anticipated 2025 ICF Slalom World Championships, to be held at Penrith Whitewater Stadium from 29 September to 4 October 2025.

More Aussie fans will be given the opportunity to experience a home World Championships down under thanks to the 9Network’s broadcast that will feature more than 30 hours of live and free on Channel 9 or to stream 9Now.

It will be an action packed six days of racing, with medals to be raced for and awarded on every day of competition and available for fans to watch on the 9Network.

It has been 25 years since the Penrith Whitewater Stadium first opened its doors to host the Olympic Games, with the legacy venue to welcome world’s best athletes back down under. 

Olympic gold medalist Jessica Fox OAM said: “It’s super exciting to have Nine’s Wide World of Sports confirmed, supporting our sport and promoting our sport, showcasing all our amazing Aussie athletes and the international athletes that are going to come out.

“Nine did an amazing job during the Paris Olympics, so it’s great to have that continuity and to keep that relationship going. I’m really looking forward to it!”

Nine Wide World of Sports Head of Sports Partnerships and Strategy, Simon Fordham, said: “We’re excited to bring the ICF Slalom World Championships to the Wide World of Sports. Jess and Noemie Fox captured the hearts of all Australians winning Gold in Paris and for them to headline this home event with the best paddlers in the world will be enormous for all sports fans.

“Within NRL Grand Final week we will broadcast 31 hours of live and free coverage on Channel 9 and 9Now of the ICF Canoe Slalom World Championships. This is an exciting acquisition for our platforms and one of the first steps on the road to the LA Olympics in 2028.”

Paddle Australia CEO, Kim Crane, said: “We are thrilled to partner with the 9Network to be able to provide more Australians the opportunity to experience the best our sport has to offer as well as reach new fans.

“We saw the incredible work the Wide World of Sports did during the Paris Olympic Games broadcast to provide fans with unparalleled access and we look forward to building on that great success for the ICF Slalom World Championships, Sydney 2025. 

“Our goal is to showcase the world’s best competing downunder, as well as inspire a new generation to get involved in paddle sports,” she said.

ICF President Thomas Konietzko said: “On the 9Network broadcast partnership for the Australian market: “To have one of the top networks in Australia – Channel 9 and 9Now – broadcast the 2025 ICF Canoe Slalom World Championships is great news.

“It shows the popularity of our sport Down Under after the incredible Paris 2024 Olympic Games. With the best athletes set to compete in Penrith, we hope more fans, especially youngsters, get a taste of our superb sport.”

The ICF Slalom World Championships will attract the world’s top canoe athletes as they battle it out for supremacy in what is set to be an unforgettable sporting spectacle.

Event Details:

• Dates: 29 September – 4 October 2025
• Location: Penrith Whitewater Stadium, Sydney, Australia
• Broadcast: 31 hours of live and free coverage across Nine’s FTA channels and BVOD platform 9Now.

For more information about the ICF Slalom World Championships visit www.sydney2025.com 

Thursday, March 13, 2025