Key takeaways:
- Apple and the WSL launched a new Apple at Play series on the Championship Tour.
- Apple Watch performance data was integrated into the WSL broadcast for the first time this year.
- The iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max will capture content for WSL social and broadcast use.
The World Surf League and Apple on Wednesday launched a new installment of Apple at Play, a content series exploring how professional sports organizations use Apple products and data to elevate athlete performance and bring fans closer to the action. This installment focuses on the WSL Championship Tour, showing how surfers use Apple Watch during competition, how they analyze performance data after heats, and how the technology helps them perform in one of sport’s most demanding environments.
WSL CEO Ryan Crosby said in a statement that the league is committed to advancing surfing both through athlete performance and fan viewing experience, calling the Apple partnership and new series an extension of that effort. He added that the league is continually exploring ways to better understand and showcase athlete performance, from giving competitors real-time data access during competition to now integrating those insights into the broadcast.
Apple Watch Data Now Part of the Broadcast
Apple Watch has served as the WSL’s official wearable technology equipment since 2023, giving athletes in-competition access to real-time heat scores, wave priority, and time remaining. That data reaches the surfer’s wrist via cellular connection through the WSL Surfer app, which syncs live with the league’s scoring system.
Earlier this year, Apple Watch performance metrics were integrated into the WSL broadcast for the first time, giving fans new insight into in-water action. The new broadcast metrics include distance traveled on a wave, wave speed, and athlete heart rate.
Surfer Lakey Peterson said in a statement that being able to glance at her Apple Watch and instantly know her score, priority status, and time remaining has changed the way she competes, especially given how far surfers can be from the beach while battling the elements. She said it’s meaningful that fans can now see that same data and understand what athletes are experiencing in real time.
iPhone Enters the Fan Engagement Push
Apple has expanded its WSL collaboration to use iPhone for fan engagement, with the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max capturing content for social media and broadcast. The devices will showcase Apple’s photo and video capabilities, including 48MP Fusion cameras and 8x optical-quality zoom, in one of sport’s most demanding shooting environments.
