Squash the latest of 65 sports to partner with Olympic Channel
By ELLIE MAWSON
The Professional Squash Association (PSA), in collaboration with the World Squash Federation (WSF), has reached a cooperation agreement with the Olympic Channel in a partnership that will see all three organisations collaborate on content for the multi-platform global media destination.
The agreement will provide the Olympic Channel, launched by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in 2016, with access to highlights from the world’s biggest squash tournaments, a range of feature video content featuring the sport’s greatest athletes, and an array of written content for its global platforms, ensuring that squash will reach a bigger audience than ever before.
“We are delighted to officially launch our relationship with Olympic Channel, which is a key step for squash as we continue to work toward our goal of bidding for inclusion in future Olympic Games,” said PSA Chief Executive Alex Gough. 
“The Olympic Channel is a pioneering multi-media platform and we feel that squash, with its commitment to innovation, will make a fantastic addition to their existing content output.
“Establishing this partnership will ensure that our sport gains greater visibility through the Olympic Channel’s distribution platforms and we are looking forward to highlighting our athletes with engaging and relevant content.”
The agreement means that squash has joined more than 65 international governing bodies who have partnered with the Olympic Channel, strengthening the profile of squash amongst fans of other sports.
Commenting on the agreements, Olympic Channel General Manager Mark Parkman said: “We share a common goal to increase both the size of the audience and active participation for their organisations, and we look forward to working together to promote their sports and to help grow their audiences worldwide.”
The partnership with the Olympic Channel comes after squash has gone through a strong period of growth in recent years. The PSA launched their OTT streaming service – SQUASHTV – in 2010 and, since then, huge strides have been made in improving SQUASHTV’s coverage of professional squash.
State of the art glass courts host the sport’s greatest players in some of the most iconic sporting locations in the world, while recent partnerships with the likes of interactive Squash and Sports Data Labs have revolutionised the sport’s coverage, enabling biometric data such as player heart-rate data and distance covered to be used in live broadcasts.
About PSA
The Professional Squash Association (PSA) is the global governing body responsible for the administration of both men’s and women’s professional squash around the world.
With over 850 registered players and more than 200 events taking place around the globe every year, the PSA World Tour – managed and run by the PSA – showcases the game of squash at its highest level in some of the world’s most unique and stunning locations.
Encapsulating all that is good about top flight professional squash and combining athleticism, skill, fitness, tenacity, power, drama and above all else, passion, the PSA World Tour is the pinnacle of world squash.
About Olympic Channel
The Olympic Channel is a multi-platform global media destination where fans can discover, engage and share in the power of sport and the excitement of the Olympic Games all year round. Offering original programming, news, live sports events and highlights, the Olympic Channel provides additional exposure for sports and athletes 24 hours a day, 365 days a year in 11 languages.
The Olympic Channel was launched in August 2016 in support of the IOC’s goal, set out in Olympic Agenda 2020, of providing a new way to engage younger generations, fans and new audiences with the Olympic Movement. Founding Partners supporting the Olympic Channel are Worldwide TOP Partners Bridgestone, Toyota and Alibaba. The Olympic Channel is available worldwide via mobile apps for Android and iOS devices and at olympicchannel.com
(Article written by Ellie Mawson (PSA Media Team). Edited by Alan Thatcher)
Picture courtesy of PSA